The Tale of the Cosmic Gate
by KorneliusPrisma
Summary: What happens, when two completely different worlds have a connection between them and no one knows it? What could go wrong? The answer lies within this tale - a tale about the young man named Joseph, who landed in the vast world of Termina, which you probably always had considered as virtual. Accompany Joseph on his journey and meet his new friends - and their powerful enemies.
1. At the right time in the wrong place

**{{{ Chapter 1 - At the Right Time in the Wrong Place }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Innsbruck (inner city) - Afternoon:

* * *

Have you ever sat in front of a computers, looked out of the windows and asked yourself how you could escape? Escape from this empty and boring everyday life? Imagine sitting here while the raindrops knock on the windowpanes while the grey light of the cloudy sky smoothly kisses your skin. Can you only see the raindrops and focus on them instead of following your important work? Have you ever felt something like that? Well, then let me tell you a story about a young man who had never thought of what could happen to him on such a rainy Friday afternoon, a man named Joseph. With his last sparks of patience he stared at the clock on the yellow wall while the last minutes of his computer science lesson slowly passed by. Three minutes later the bell finally rang and Joseph was the first one to pull his USB out, exit the room and finally leave his college for electrical engineering.

After Joseph rushed out the school's tall and grey entrance doors, the scent of wet asphalt and sour exhaust fumes somehow made him smile. A short shiver of happiness flew over Joseph's scalp when he felt the beginning of the weekend. And weekends usually tasted a lot better after tons and tons of exams had been taken in the previous weeks. He was now – finally – free. Free of duties, free from learning and free from homework – well at least for a couple of days.

"Hey, Friday! Where have you been? I've waited so long for you!" remarked Joseph after inhaling the sour air and feeling the drops of rain on his face and hands. "And now? Hmmm … what about a new game to play over the weekend? Yeah, why not? That would be nice."

Remembering about the small game store that was just a few blocks down, Joseph pushed through the crowded streets with an exhausted body but a happy smile. Besides listening to electronic music through his headphones, he thought of what game might be good to play over the weekend. Should it be a good singleplayer game with a captivating story or perhabs a funny and exciting multiplayer game? Whatever the answer was, Joseph had never been like most people his age. The twenty-year-old man preferred to stay at home and play videogames instead of partying all night long and waking up with a pounding headache the next morning.  
Exploring new worlds, getting sucked into a story and its setting along with exciting and hard fights within a game - this was his passion.

Joseph arrived at the shop and entered through the two glass doors, where he greeted the cashier.

"Good afternoon, Patrick!"

"Hey, Joseph! 'Sup?"

"I'm browsing a bit, okay?" finished Joseph as he searched the few shelves within the store – but none of the games really interested him since he already had a lot of them at home. After fifteen minutes of obviously senseless searching, Patrick asked Joseph if he might be interested in a few games for the Nintendo 64, an old console Joseph had owned since he was five years old. These games didn't sell well in Patrick's store but he kept them especially for Joseph. Maybe he could play them instead.

"Hey, Joseph, I have a few cartridges for the N64. You wanna see them?"

"Sure, why not?"

Patrick showed Joseph four game cartridges but there was one game that particularly drew his attention for reasons that Joseph didn't understand. A golden cartridge with a green sticker glued to its center - written on it: "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask".

The cartridge had something … magical about it, but Joseph couldn't exactly explain what had forced him to look at it.  
He had heard about the Zelda series and knew from some of his friends that it was very impressive series of games with big worlds to explore and a good story, but he'd never played one himself – time to catch up on it!

"How much do you want for it?"

"Usually it's twenty euros. But for you it's ten euros!"

"I'll take it!" Joseph responded. Then he checked his wallet, where he saw thirty-five euros in it. After putting the game into his pocket, he left the shop and then rushed straight to the nearest bus station.

He waited for the bus and looked at the cartridge in the meanwhile. His heart was beating faster, and he felt a slight pressure in his guts. But the reason for it wasn't excitement. There was something else that made Joseph – let's say nervous. The golden piece of plastic in his hands felt heavier than other Nintendo 64 games and through his hands flowed a small and warm current, accompanied by a buzz in his fingers. Was his right hand going to sleep?

Joseph suddenly remembered a story he'd read on the internet before. This story had been called "BEN Drowned" and in this story a young boy purchased a cartridge of Majora's Mask at a peddler's market. Strange things happened to the boy afterwards and some really weird and creepy stuff took place in his game. But Joseph, of course, knew it was just an invented horror story, something that someone had imagined somewhere at some time. It was nothing to be afraid of … because such hauntings didn't exist at all.

The bus came, he boarded it and sat down at the nearest free seat he saw. Finally weekend and a new game to play with! The bus fortunately wasn't that filled with people, so Joseph relaxed and enjoyed the twenty minutes of driving and listening to Hardstyle music. The bus stopped near Joseph's house, and he sprinted towards it. The heavy rain quickly soaked his sky-blue hoodie, into his short brown hair, and even his jeans, but this didn't bother him at all. He opened the dark-wooden door and went inside his house, where nobody seemed to be except for Joseph. Ignoring the food that his mother had prepared for him, he dashed straight upstairs and into his room, where he slumped into his red couch and took another deep breath.

"Okay, I can't wait to play! Where is it?" thought Joseph before he searched for his old black Nintendo 64 and its yellow controller.

He excavated every drawer in his room but nothing but dust and scrap. Tidiness wasn't one of Joseph's strengths and even after about thirty more minutes of searching, he found nothing, so he sat down, picked the cartridge up with his dusty hands and studied it.

"Hmmm … maybe it's in the attic … or even in the cellar …"

He tried to recall where his old console was, but his thoughts got distracted by another tingly feeling in his hands. This … strange and unknown feeling he had gotten when he had first touched it became stronger and stronger until Joseph could no longer ignore it.

"What's that tingly feeling I get when I touch it? It feels like a current, but somehow it doesn't, either. I know very well how it feels to get electrocuted. Well, maybe it's just an electric charge!"

He stared at the sticker on the cartridge and raised his eyebrows, which showed his confused and surprised expression very well. Joseph moved his two index fingers a bit upwards – which changed his life and the lives of many others forever. The strong warm buzzing began to course through his two arms and then through his whole body. It felt indeed like being electrocuted but without the massive pain. It was impossible to him to release the cartridge.

"Aaaaah! What is this witchcraft?!"

His hands clenched and the flow of energy heated up and pulsed through his torso, and a scream tore through his throat. The energy also went through his legs and his vision slowly began to blur. Screaming helped to calm down the pain, but it didn't last for too long. After a minute, Joseph's strength deteriorated. His brown eyes closed. The energy flow stopped and so did the pain. After this, he closed his eyes and fell to the floor, uncosncious.

Whatever had just happened, it had been nothing that Joseph and other people from 'our world' would have expected. A few hours of darkness passed by for Joseph before he regained consciousness. The strange feeling in his hands that he had experienced earlier went away and his clenched muscles relaxed.

"Ugh … ouch … What the heck just happened? Ugh, - where am I? Wait a minute … what's that?"

Joseph clenched his hands and felt something odd inside them. It wasn't a painful river of electrons this time but … -dirt!? It felt like he had grab into a pile of flower soil. How was that possible? Hadn't he collapsed onto his room's carpet? And what was that strange scent of wood? His room actually smells slightly woody but it wasn't this sweet and intense.  
Many questions had gone through his still dazed and weakened mind. But that had been before he'd opened his eyes – because after he had done so, even more questions came. Joseph couldn't believe his eyes or any other of his senses anymore. Either he had gone crazy, his eyes were being deceived or he was dreaming or he was indeed seeing the truth.

"T-Trees!? Grass!? What the actual f…? What is this place!? Where am I!?" Joseph asked himself. He slowly tried to stand up. His clothes were dirty, and he felt pain in his legs, arms, head and several other parts of his body_. _

"Why is this forest so dark? What am I doing in a forest anyway? How did get here in the first place? What the heck?!"

* * *

**Part II  
**In a dark and unknown forest – Unknown time of day:

* * *

Joseph carefully tip-toed through the eerie forest – step by step. Neither too fast because he could make alarming noises with his fast movements, nor too slow because maybe something had him already in its sights, somewhere, ready to strike for some easy meat.  
As a student of engineering, Joseph's basic reaction to his situation was to question such things.  
_  
_"Why is it so dark? Isn't it actually afternoon? I can't see a thing – it's simply way too dark to be daytime. Well, maybe I was knocked out for a bit longer than I thought. But how long and why was I knocked out at all? Argh come on! Focus!"

While plodding through the forest, aware of possible threats, Joseph felt something in his right pocket, something small and rectangular. He picked it up and had never been happier before to see his old white smartphone.

"Thank heavens it's still working! This thing might save my ass right now!" he exclaimed.

After seeing his phone again, the first thing that popped into his mind was to check the time. Maybe that would help him answer at least one of his many questions – but unfortunately contained the answer many new uncertainties.

"3:18 p.m.!? What the heck!? It looks like midnight! Last time I checked the clock at home said it about three o' clock and bright outside! But now it's … Argh!" thought Joseph after he checked his phone watch. "Okay, stay calm, dude! Maybe I can find a way out without getting caught by … the Slenderman …"

Joseph also tried to call the police in the hope of getting a proper explanation about how he had landed in the center of nowhere, but only beeping replied to him.

"Dammit! No signal!"

How come he didn't have signal in the forest? The forest Joseph knew hadn't been that far away from the city. He even remembered that a radio tower had stood right in it, so this didn't make sense at all!

The many exams that he had taken during the week hadn't given him as much confusion and headache as the situation he was now confronted_. _

"At least it still has a lot of battery. Eighty-nine percent and the flashlight might be quite useful now …"

The forest was dark, big and frightening. Gnarled trees, whose thick roots are very well seen over the surface, combined with an eerie purplish haze represented this weird and unknown forest. The trees looked black through the fog but every time Joseph lit them, their barks actually looked dark-brown.  
The woods smelled like they usually would after intense precipitation: juicy and sweetish like wet wood.  
The shouts of owls and chirping of crickets could be heard through the rustling of the trees' leaves in the cool wind.

Joseph carefully made his way through the forest step by step with alarmed eyes and adrenalin-fuelled veins, the path lightened by a smartphone's weak flashlight. He studied his surroundings just to ensure that–

"What was that!?" he exclaimed with shocked eyes after a thick branch had fallen down from the treetops four meters in front of him.

He gulped and hoped to calm down by telling himself it was just a coincidence, but still he felt his heart in his throat. His trembling right hand, in which he held his phone, slowly rose with his sight. His whole body shook like leaves in the autumn wind, and he felt as tiny as an ant next to the giant woods. There was nothing in the treetops, but this didn't reassure him. He turned around to check behind himself, but this was a big mistake. His body and mind were paralyzed, his eyes opened widely and his heart was beating like it would after playing an intensive horror game for several hours. There **it** was.

A spider, as large as a car, hung down from a branch. Its white torso, held up by eight strong and hairy legs, was shaped like a skull. It seemed to be hungry and from its maw came disturbing noises that sounded like a pig's squeals, but with a lower pitch. The fact that Joseph pointed his phone's flashlight directly at its eighteen blood-red eyes seemed to bother the beast a little bit. Even though it'd had to close it eyes, it saw that Joseph looked like a tasty snack bar walking on two legs. Unless the beast was sated, only one thing was definite: Joseph should run – run like he never had before in his life.

"Uhm, well. Fuck. Ehehehe…" whispered Joseph. He reversed and immediately noticed how the trees had been passing by due to his speed.

The giant spider, which some people called a 'Skulltula', shrieked loudly as it saw its breakfast fleeing and immediately pursued. It rushed up to the treetops, which creaked like firewood in an oven while it followed Joseph. He could barely breathe as fast as he was running and with his wobbling light avoiding tree roots was almost impossible. His chest already hurt but he had to suppress the side stitch for his own survival.

"Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope …" chanted Joseph as he escaped his gruesome fate.

While running as he lit the path ahead, he recognized a crevice – a crevice big enough to interrupt his flight, to be more accurate. He turned around to check if he was safe – but he wasn't. The beast was still after Joseph, which he knew due to the rustling and cracking treetops. Joseph hoped the opening wouldn't seal his fate forever.

He illuminated the chasm and saw that it was about ten meters deep. But inside the dirty fissure, within which were plenty of spider-webs, stood two other creatures that had pointy heads with no hair, one big green eye that looked straight at Joseph and blue-greenish bright skin. They two grunted at each other – perhabs to communicate – but Joseph neither had time to question what the creatures were, nor what they were doing down there. A few meters behind Joseph, several thick branches felt down, which was a sign that he should really move on unless he wants to get eaten. He took a few steps backwards and dashed towards the chasm's edge, from which he jumped to the other side.

"Argh, come on!"

Joseph just missed the other side, but he managed to grab a thick tree root that hung down the cliffside. He nearly fell down the ravine and the grunting of the two one-eyed creatures became louder as they observed Joseph. But it wasn't the right time to give up. He focused all of his power into his arms and pulled himself up. Then he saw that the beast was still after him and that the two other creatures down the chasm had gotten curious. The Skulltula's disturbing squeak could be heard throughout the forest, and after turning around, Joseph also saw its head peeking through the dark treetops, scanning for him.

Joseph rotated one-eighty degrees and plowed through the forest for around ten more minutes. His side stitch, combined with hyperventilation, the sweat on his forehead and the pain in his feet, was simply too overwhelming. He had to stop … to rest for at least a minute. With fast breaths he lighted the area around him and searched for any Skulltula or other man-eating hungry creatures.

"Phew, I lost him … Thanks heavens! That was too close! But seriously, what the heck is that monster!? Not even Australia has such giant spiders, so how can such a - thing - exist in our forest? And what were those things in the chasm? The frick is going on here!?"

After stabilizing his breath and carefully scanning his surroundings for a couple of minutes, he saw something … odd – again. But this time it wasn't a big pile of nope. Instead he saw a light through the dark woods. This light couldn't be coming from his phone. It emitted a weaker white light but the light in the distance was yellow. He ran towards it for ten more minutes and … Finally!

The trees found an end and Joseph stood on a big and wide, open field. In the field's center was a circular wall made out of stone. A blue and orange pattern was painted onto the wall and from its center rose a big tower made out of stone and painted wood, which was illuminated by yellow light coming from its lower side. But this tower wasn't the only thing that drew Joseph's attention. Through the bright moonlight he could see the rest of the landscape very well. To his right lay tall and snow-covered mountains, surrounded by thick clouds. To his left he saw that the moonshine shimmered on a broad water surface – which must have been some kind of ocean or sea. Also there seemed to be more forest but with various kinds of tropical plants on the very left side. Mountains and woodlands were quite familiar to Joseph but an ocean was something totally new to him.

"Wow, it's beautiful! But, uhm, where am I? Am I dreaming? Yep, I definitely must be dreaming. But this feels so … real!"

He put his heated up smartphone back into his pocket after he turned it off. Maybe saving some more battery would be a very good idea in these times. Joseph knew that smartphones usually do not have that much battery capacity.

The beauty of the landscape was magical – magical enough for Joseph to stay there. But there had to be answers to his many questions. In the distance, Joseph saw a few movements between the tower and the walls, so his hope of finding civilization over there was big.

"I really, really, _really_ hope they can help me," whispered Joseph. He walked for what must have been five more minutes.

Soon he stood in front of the southern entrance of the stone circle, which was actually a quite large town, protected by several guards armed with spears. On top of the entrance were characters he couldn't read.

"Uhm, okay. What are these symbols?" asked Joseph as he tried to figure out what stood written there.

A woman with long, pointy ears, with eyes as blue as her dress, a flour-covered brown apron and curled, shoulder-long brown hair greeted Joseph kindly as she passed by. Joseph looked confusedly at her at first because of her ears and the unusual attire, but in the end he greeted her back and directly asked a question:

"Excuse me, but – is this Chinese or Japanese?"

"What do you mean, mister?" the young woman replied.

"The symbols. What do they mean?"

"It simply says "Welcome to Clock-Town! Southern Entrance," mister!"

"Aha. That sounds … enlightening to me. Not."

"Is everything alright, mister?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm just a bit exhausted after running away from an oversized pile of nope that tried to kill me! Besides that, everything is fine!"

"You got chased by marauders!?"

"No, not marauders! A giant – ah, whatever. I just need a place to think and sleep."

"Well, then simply go home! Or get a room at the Stock Pot Inn!" the young lady suggested while pointing towards the town.

"The Stock Pot Inn? What's that?"

"A place where all kinds of travelers sleep when they come to Termina and Clock Town, especially at Carnival"

"Uhm, okay. Sounds good, I guess. Where is it?"

"It's in the eastern part of Clock Town. Go through the gate in front of you and then straight to the right. After you go up the stairs, turn left and then go straight forward. There should be a building with waves painted on it."

"Well, okay, I'll take a look. Thank you … uhm …"

"Libby! That's me!" responded the lady with a laugh.

"I'm Joseph. And thank you for the help!"

* * *

**Part III**  
East Clock Town – Evening

* * *

"Well, either someone is playing the biggest prank ever on me, or I just went full-blown retarded. Never go full-blown retarded, Joseph" he muttered to himself while walking through the eastern part of the mysterious town. What was this strange place called Clock Town? Why was he suddenly somewhere else? Why did everyone wear such medieval clothes and have those long ears? It wasn't just Libby, who wore them. Two mid-aged men next to Joseph, who juggling together with brightly colored balls, also had these clothes and ears.

Joseph sighed and wished to sit in his soft red couch again. This place felt odd and strange – unlike his room with its wooden scent. His only desire was to find a place to sleep.

"White waves painted on brown and orange. I guess that's the inn" whispered Joseph. He moved towards its greenly painted-, wooden door. "I hope there's really a bed and a nice schnitzel with potato salad in it!"

As soon as he stood in the Lobby of the Inn, the first thing Joseph recognized was a spicy and woody scent which came from the creaking floorboards. To his right hung blue, green and red masks on the wall, whose mouths were carved into big grins and whose eyes were carved wide open. To his left hung a circular mechanism on the wall which turned every three seconds clock-wise. Maybe this wasn't even a clock because on its edge were letters that Joseph couldn't read. But besides the decorations in the room something else drew a lot of Joseph's attention to it.

In front of Joseph stood a young woman behind a wooden desk. A long-, blue skirt with a silver pattern on its lower side went down to the ground and hid her legs. Her slim upper body wore a tight brown shirt with long white sleeves and her head carried shoulder long, blood-red hair along with long, pointy ears and eyes as blue as the night sky.

"Hello sir, may I help you?" she asked her potentially new customer.

"Uhm, sure. Is this the Stock Pot Inn?"

"Yes sir, it is."

"Well, do you have a warm bed for me?"

"You really want to sleep here!?" the woman asked with her hands in front of her mouth.

"Uhm, yes. I do … I guess."

"Oh, then please excuse my behavior! I'll look if there's a free room, sir!"

After taking a look into a small red book on her desk, she nodded and said there was a free room in the corridor upstairs.

"How much?"

"Pardon, sir?"

"How much do you want per night?"

"It's twenty per night except for carnival, where it's fifteen per night," the woman explained. Joseph remembered the twenty-five euros in his wallet and put them out. After giving the blue banknote to the woman, her eyes showed plenty of confusion.

"What's this beautifully painted paper, sir?"

"Uhm, that's a twenty euro banknote, my fair lady. You said you wanted twenty so I gave you twenty!"

"But sir, I meant twenty rupees. In Termina everyone pays with rupees!"

"Rubles? But, ma'am, this isn't Russia!"

"I'm so sorry, sir! But it's ru-pees" the woman corrected. Joseph looked at his banknote and the few coins he had and was even more confused than before. Now his currency was suddenly worthless?

"Excuse my question, but … Is this a dream?" Joseph asked, slightly aggressive.

"N-No sir, I'm sorry it isn't! I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't give you the room without rupees."

"Damn it!" Joseph shouted. He turned around and left the inn.

Several more questions came into his mind as he ran out of the Inn. "What – the heck – is this place!? It must certainly be a dream! There's simply no other explanation than that! But for a dream it feels so goddamn real! Maybe I'm dreaming lucid."

Joseph saw the eastern gate of the town and approached it. In his anger he hadn't even recognized the greetings of a man, who was protected by a hauberk and helmet and was equipped with a spear.  
_"Maybe I can find something over here. Who needs a bed anyways? Sleep is for the weak!"_

At first, Joseph saw nothing but the pure darkness of the night behind the eastern gate. As his eyes slowly readjusted to the darkness again he saw six tall columns made of clay and stone rising up in a row towards the path in front of him. The columns and the path in front of him looked somehow … frightening for some unknown reason, so he checked the rest of his surroundings.

"Maybe I can sleep next to the wall without getting interrupted. This place looks calm to me" whispered Joseph after looking around.  
The longer he remained in the darkness, the more his eyes were able to see through it. The field around him and the whole landscape wouldn't have been so dark if a cloud hadn't blocked the moonlight in this moment. But even without the moon, his eyesight was clear enough to spot the outlines of a horse bounded to a wagon. Even the movements of a person could be noticed next to the horse – one single person that might give Joseph possible answers to his many questions.

_"Well, whatever. I got nothing to lose. Time to annoy another person today with my confusion,"_ Joseph thought. He went closer to the person and the closer he got the clearer it was that the person was female._"Is that Libby?"_

After a few more meters his question answered itself. It wasn't Libby; it was another woman. Libby had short brown hair, but this other woman had hair as red as fire that reached down to her back. Out of her hair stuck two long and pointy ears and instead of a blue dress, she wore a white blouse with light blue patterns on its sleeves. Her legs were covered by a long purple skirt and a brown apron. For some reason she wore a yellow scarf around her neck which was bound together by a bronze brooch. The woman lifted miscellaneous containers into her wagon and even glanced a few times towards Joseph, who stood a couple of meters away from her.

_"Damn she's pretty!"_ Joseph thought. Facing the actual beauty of the mysterious woman made Joseph's situation even more complicated. Talking to girls had never been one of his strengths, not even in situations of emergency. Instead of asking her questions, he felt his heart begin to beat stronger. Why was it so hard to talk to women? Well, nobody would ever know.

Joseph's lack of courage let him wait for two minutes until something occurred that he did not expect. Two men, covered by brown cloaks and masked with big hoods, approached to the redheaded woman and addressed her. The two men surrounded her and forced her to back up until the wagon stopped her. The woman switched her view between the masked man to her left and the one to her right several times. Joseph observed this spectacle and the nervous expression in the woman's face made him anxious as well for some reason. This valid nervousness escalated after one masked man drew a short sword while the other one unveiled an axe through his cloak.

_"Uh-oh, that doesn't look good,"_ Joseph thought before he withdrew his Smartphone from his pocket again. _"Come on. Come on! Move - your - ass you little piece of scrap!"_ he thought while turning the phone on again.

"Aaaah! No! Hel–" screamed the woman.

Whatever those men were doing, Joseph never had been happier before to finally see his phone's home-screen. One quick glimpse was enough to see that she already lay on the dirty floor, helpless. One of the men kicked her whereas the other one swung his axe into the wagon's back-left wheel.

Another attempt to call the police failed and now even Joseph was helpless.  
_"The connection here is as medieval as the people's clothes!"_ thought Joseph before he looked at his phone's screen. He heard the woman's short screaming and the marauders' yelling several times and with every scream his heart beat faster. If the police couldn't help, then Joseph had to do something!

"I'm an engineer, not a fighter!" he whispered as he thought of a plan. _"Screw this. It's a dream anyways, so fuck it!"_

With his phone in the left hand, Joseph took a deep breath, concealed his head beneath his pullover's hood and strode towards the marauders and the woman.

"Hey you! Back off!" Joseph yelled at the marauding men. "Don't – uhm – do that again!"

"Or what?" the man, who kicked the redhead, challenged.

"Or you shall feel my power!"

"And who are you then?" the other man asked.

"I am Joseph … icus!"

"Jo-what?" the man asked again, a bit more confused this time.

"You fools! In the name of Euler you don't know Josephicus!? How retarded must you be to not know the greatest magician of all time since, – uhm … Tesla!?"

"Did you just call me retarded!? I'll show you what–"

"Stay back! One step closer and I'll cast a mighty spell on you!"

"Of course you will. Now run away! Or shall we kill you too, great magician?" threatened the man sneeringly with the sword. For one short moment, Joseph didn't know what to do after the man indeed dared to come one step closer – but only for a short moment.

"Don't – make – me – angry! Just don't! Or Ampere's lightning shall turn your pitiful low resistance into a small heap of coal!" Joseph retorted. But both men laughed at his threat.

"T-The legends are true! Josephicus, the mighty m-magician, has come back to T-Termina! So if your life means something to you, then run!" the mysterious, redheaded and hurt woman said painfully. Both marauders stopped laughing and regarded the woman. But after they turned back to Joseph, the woman winked at him.

"Now you have heard it. So leave – unless you want to hear the … uhm … third binomial formula!"

"Your empty threats don't frighten us!"

"Then you shall feel one of my many powers! This small device in my right hand – it can lock your souls inside of it forever! Which I will do now if you don't leave!" warned Joseph while holding his phone towards the two men. "The great merchants of the market of souls in the – uhm – Weiss domains will give me a lot of money for you two since they like dark souls!"

Luckily for Joseph the men hesitated while he opened his phone camera and ensured that its flash was activated and the phone unmuted. A bright white light unveiled their dark faces, followed by a short clicking-sound. The flash blinded the men for a short moment.

"You fools! Now everything's lost!" the injured woman shouted towards the masked men. Joseph opened the gallery, tapped on the most recent photo and turned the phone around. The two men stepped back twice after they saw their own ugly frowns pictured on the small brick in Joseph's hand.

"Brother! Maybe we should really leave! I don't want to risk my soul. What if he's right!" said the man with the axe.

"Oh now you're acting reasonable? Well, better late than never! Maybe your lack of – uhm – voltage will be forgiven!" replied Joseph. But even after his threats the men stayed.  
Joseph activated his phone's flashlight again and towards it towards the men's faces. A bright flood of white light disoriented them as Joseph opened his MP3 Player to search for a song with lots of screams and weird noises. Neither rock, pop, house nor hardstyle were really fitting – but how about some dubstep? Joseph tried to distract them in the meanwhile:

"X plus Y in brackets … multiplied with X minus Y in brackets," spoke Joseph as he browsed for a fitting song "– shall equal X minus Y squared! That shall be our last words!"

With his last words being shouted, he found a fitting song and held his phone towards the men as Joseph slowly came closer and closer.

"Argh! What are those noises? Stop them!"

"Can you hear your screaming souls? Run and maybe I'll forgive you!"

Both masked marauders scrammed away from the mighty magician known as Josephicus and the hurt woman. Joseph paused the dubious music but still had his flashlight activated, which he now held over the injured redhead. Her bright freckled skin was now very visible under the flood of light in which she was forced to close her shiny, blue eyes.

* * *

**Part IV**  
Near Clock Town – Evening

* * *

After what felt like an eternity to Joseph the woman had been saved from any further injuries but the cut and the pink spot on her forehead still remained. The skirt on her left leg's side was soaked in a dark-red liquid we tend to call blood.

"Finally they're gone! Well I guess it's time to finally say hello" Joseph joked, hoping to cheer her up. She smiled and replied with a "thank you, Josephicus," though her face still showed the pain she felt.

"No problem, miss. Guess it's time to be a nurse. Too bad I didn't do my biology homework last night!" began Joseph as he thought of a way to tape up her wound. "Oh and just call me Joseph! What's your name by the way?"

"My name's Cremia."

She tried to stand up but only a loud "argh!" came out of her mouth. The wound had to have been deeper than they had both expected.

"Okay Cremia. It's nice to meet you but please stay lying down! I need to stop the bleeding first!"

Joseph thought for a second about what could be strong enough to hold the blood back. But there was nothing around – except for Joseph's pullover, which he then took off to use as an improvised bandage.

"I'll use that to tape up the wound, but I need it back later okay?" Joseph asked with a smile and Cremia nodded. With only his black shirt covering his jest in the cool night, Joseph pulled her skirt away until he saw the big wet red stain on her white leggings. The long sleeves of the pullover, which wasn't so sky-blue anymore, were a perfect bandage which Joseph tightened strongly.

"Sorry if that hurts but I have to tighten up it so strongly because otherwise it won't help."

"Don't worry, I'm not that sensitive to pain" Cremia smilingly replied.

"Okay, the leg's done. What about your head?"

"It hurt earlier, but now I'm fine! It was just two kicks."

"Okay then. Where do you live? I'll accompany you."

"I live at Romani Ranch. That's too far away but I know someone in Clock-Town."

Joseph nodded and gave Cremia his hand to help her up – but same as before, she cringed due to the pain. In each one of the two attempts she fell back to the ground.

"Come on, you can't walk like that! I'll carry you to a hospital … if something like that exists in that hicktown" Joseph said before he put one hand beneath her knees while the other hand held her back. Holding her bridal style, Joseph went towards Clock Town's eastern gate.

"Okay, where is this friend you've talked about?"

"Do you know Anju?"

"Uhm no. Who's that?"

"She lives and works in the Stock Pot Inn. Maybe she–"

"The woman with the dark red hair and the – uhm – long ears?" asked Joseph while checking out Cremia's own long ears.

"Yep, that's Anju!"

"Oh, great…"

Cremia, who felt quite light in Joseph's hands due to her slim figure, still showed a slight expression of pain in her face. Even though the wound hurt a lot, she gave her best to suppress the stinging. Joseph hurried and soon stood in front of the famous Stock Pot Inn again.

He kicked the door three times before he shouted "open the door!" loudly. Nothing happened, so he turned around to check if somebody might help him open it. But it seemed to be already late enough to leave Clock Town's streets empty. Once again Joseph kicked three times at the door loudly.

"Who is this? The Stock Pot Inn closes after sunset!" a voice spoke behind the door.

"It's an emergency! I carry someone who needs some aspirin, a bit of sanitizer and a shitload of plasters!"

"Is it really an emergency?" the voice asked.

"Anju, please let us in!" Cremia said.

Cremia's words seemed to be a key since the door opened quickly after she spoke. In the doorframe stood the same young woman with the night blue eyes and the blood red hair that had thrown Joseph out of the Inn.

Anju recognized the same weird young man with rounded ears and short brown hair as before and immediately wanted him to leave. But this time the man held someone, who was probably one of her best friends in his two arms for – whatever reason.

"By Nayru what happened to you!?"

"Please, can we go inside? She's beginning to feel heavy!" gasped Joseph. Anju nodded and retreated a few steps backwards into the sap-smelling lobby.

"Cremia, did that man do something to you?" Anju inquired. Joseph objected to this question with shocked eyes.

"Of course not!" Joseph replied slightly angry as he carried Cremia inside.

"Anju, I got attacked by two masked men and he, well, saved me. No need to distrust him!" Cremia explained.

"I'm sorry mister! I did not mean to be disrespectful! Sorry!" Anju excused. "Please bring her upstairs and follow the corridor to the second room!"

With heavy breathing and the hope for a soft bed, Joseph went upstairs together with Anju in front of him and Cremia in his arms. Anju was still shocked about the apparent injuries of Cremia and the sudden return of the man in blue. But Anju held her curiosity back until they finally arrived inside the room.  
"The Second Room," as Anju had called it, consisted of two single beds with thin white blankets, a table with a green tablecloth, one big shelter and a very damaged wallpaper, which revealed the wooden walls very well. Two small windows illuminated the room with the cold moonlight and its interior smelled a bit … musty. But this didn't disgust Cremia and Joseph in any way and certainly not Anju, who no longer recognized the odor.

"I'll just lay her down here, okay?" asked Joseph while standing next to the first bed. Anju nodded and quickly pulled the blanket away. After Cremia had been laid in the bed, Joseph immediately grabbed one of the chairs, sat down and relaxed. He looked out of the tiny window and saw the roofs of strangely formed houses. Then his view returned to Cremia and Anju, who stared back at him.

"I've gasped enough for today. First that … giant nope … and now two crazy dudes, who have nothing better to do than act like idiots. What is this place!?" whispered Joseph.

"Is everything alright, sir?" asked Anju.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Whatever, let's disinfect Cremia's wound now."

"What do you mean with by … 'disinfect?'" asked Cremia curiously.

"Uhm, maybe, you know, killing the bacteria in your wound?"

"The bacteria? Is that some kind of magic language you speak, sir?" asked Anju.

"It must be, since he is a mighty magician!" added Cremia.

"No, it's – ah whatever. Just give me the strongest alcohol you have in that inn"

"Isn't it a bit early to celebrate?" asked Anju, unaware of modern science.

Joseph had to laugh loudly and so did Cremia but mainly because of his guffaw. Anju was confused but she had an idea that might help Cremia's injury. She stood up, told the two to wait and left the room. Joseph still sat on the chair and let his head full of questions hang down.

"I'll … *yawn* … go to sleep now, okay? Just poke me if you need something…"

"Please rest. You did way too much for me today …and we don't even know each other…"

"We'll catch up tomorrow, promise. But now I really need some sleep – which is strange because I'm actually dreaming. Well, whatever. Inception time!"

Joseph fell into the second bed together with his many questions. What was this world named Termina? How had he gotten here? Was he dreaming even though it feels real? And would Cremia help Joseph find answers?


	2. Welcome to Termina!

**{{{ ****Chapter**** 2****: Welcome to Termina! }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Stock Pot Inn – Early morning:

* * *

After a nerve-jangling evening followed a refreshingly calm night in which both, Cremia and Joseph recovered well. Plenty of excitement awaited Joseph indeed on his first day in this new world. After escaping the ravenous monster in the foggy woods, he showed civil courage by saving the mysterious redhead Cremia from two robbers and if that wouldn't already be enough his mind rumbled in a search for answers this strange world gave him.

After several hours of peaceful sleep, he suddenly dreamt of an earthquake at the end. But after he slowly opened his heavy eyes, followed by a sluggish yawn, it exposed simply as weak pokes. Besides that, something crawled on his left palm that was hidden beneath the beige blanket, which stinked like flower soil.

A bright and white light blended through dirty windows onto his tired eyelids until they slowly got used to it again.  
„Ugh, what? Where am I?" Joseph calmly asked. Seeing the green wallpaper, smelling the blanket and hearing the loud clockwork behind him started the process of neverending questioning – and headache - again. Another poke to his right shoulder drew his attention to the right.

"Good morning, Joseph!" said a woman sitting on his bed to him. His eyes opened widely after he saw her sitting in the bright sunlight. Her face and body were visible so well now – he couldn't believe how well the night shrouded the incredible beauty.  
Her eyes were so blue, bluer than the sky could ever be.  
Her hair was so brightly orange, brighter than any fire could ever blaze.  
And her skin looked so soft and pale, like the milk that leaves the utter of the happiest cow. It must have been magic streaming out of her smiling, freckled face, which left Joseph totally speechless.

A glimpse at his surprised eyes caused Cremia to giggle. She didn't really understand why he looked at her in such a way but his face was just too funny.  
„G-Good morning! I uhm -" Joseph spoke before getting interrupted by the tickly feeling on his left palm again. He put the gross blanket away and saw two big blue bugs with four yellow thin legs crawling on his left arm. The two bigger eyes on each bug gave them actually some kind of cuteness, well at least from Cremia's point of view.  
„Dude, what the fuck?" he said, followed by a quick haul that sent the bugs straight up to the ceiling. „That's the worst hotel I've ever slept in!"

Cremia laughed after he looked with surprised eyes at her again.

„You're funny, Joseph. Please let me thank you for last night again."

„Last night!? You mean we … oh, wait. I've saved you or something like that, didn't I?"

„Uhm, yes. You did. Can't you remember?"

He looked around, checking out the room, Cremia and the two bugs once more. „So you're going to tell me all of this was actually no dream?"

„You didn't dream that! Why does every hero that comes to Termina act humbly?"

„Hero? Oh, wait a minute-" Joseph interrupted himself before taking out his phone. He opened the galery and searched for the most recent picture. The twenty-one percent of battery didn't seem to bother him at all. Seeing the two ugly frowns hidden beneath their brown hoods caused him to laugh loudly. „Oh - my - god did I just really scare two robbers away with math, engineering and dubstep? That's so unbelievable, not even my teachers would achieve that!"

„Good morning, Cremia!" interrupted another voice, coming from the door. It was Anju, who greeted both with curious eyes and a smile.

„Good morning as well, Anju!" Cremia responded before Anju sat down next to her.

„I have to apologize, sir. You two seem to know each other. I am sorry for distrusting you, sir. This was stupid."

„Nah, it's understandable. But I don't know you. Actually I don't even know this whole place, not to mention how I ended here" he explained. "And you're really sure I'm not dreaming?"

„Josephicus is your name, right?" Cremia unsurely asked.

„No it's Joseph. J-o-s-e-p-h."

„Joseph, why do you keep saying you're dreaming?"

„Well, uhm. Right know I cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy. All of this feels so real and I can even remember what happened last night, but it's actually too incredible to believe."

„I am sorry but I don't understand what you mean, sir. It's just Clock-Town you see, not Areysi, so what do you mean with incredible?"

„Everything! That … giant spider-thing in the forest, this whole town with all its inhabitants and also that I helped you. I mean if all of this was a dream, then I would accept it. But somehow it's also reality - and it's also not – and both at the same time! Like a dream I'm trapped in."

Joseph pressed his hands to his eyes and slowly moved them downwards. His confusion slowly turned into frustration. Cremia looked to Anju, who also looked to her.

„You don't seem to know what I mean, do you?" he asked.

„Uhm, not really, sir. Maybe you lost your memory. Like a Deku scrub shot a nut at your head" Anju replied. „But thankfully we have you, sir. Otherwise I would have lost my Cremia!"

„Uh, no problem I guess. Actually that's a matter of course! By the way how's your leg, Cremia?"

„It's okay! Shouldn't be a problem to me."

„Do you both want breakfast then? I baked lots of-" Anju asked.

„Oh, uh, n-no thanks Anju! I think I should go back to – the ranch – and to Romani of course!"

„That's too bad, Cremia. But maybe you want some breakfast, sir?"

Joseph's stomach indeed desired for some breakfast. Especially for something sweet, followed by some sips of orange juice. But before he could even open his mouth, Cremia took his hand and said: „I don't think that we both have time for breakfast since there's something I ... uhm ... wanted to show to him! I'm really sorry Anju, but thanks a lot for the offer!"

With an aching leg stood Cremia up and dragged Joseph hobblingly towards the door. She hobbled so fast, Joseph could barely take his blood-soaked pullover that lay on the dusty ground in front of the second bed. He turned to Anju.

„But I-"

„See you later, Anju! Have a nice day and thanks for the beds!" Cremia interrupted.

She dragged Joseph down the stairs and out of the Stock Pot Inn until they stood on the sunlight-flooded plaza of Clock-Town's eastern part. Standing outside, Joseph had to look around first before he noticed that Cremia had released his hand.

„Why the big hurry? I'm hungry!"

„You've never tried anything Anju has cooked, haven't you?" Cremia asked with a smile.

„How should I? Is it that bad?"

„Once I tried one of her soups. At the evening I sat for two and a half hours on the privy. Compared to her food, a gnorry branch full of bugs and leaves from the southern swamp tastes like berry cream."

„That escalated quickly."

After a short laugh, something to his right drew Joseph's attention to it. A couple of young boys played cheerfully on the wide plaza. An elder man to their left suddenly yelled at them. „You cheeky brats that's no playground! Go to the north or I'll tell it your mother!"

This scene caused Joseph to check out his surroundings in this unknown new world once again. Pointily-eared children played on this brownly bricked place, next to a wooden pole with a big red pot on its top. Three ropes with colorful pennants hung radiant from the pot's handles all over the place. Humans with oddly colored and shaped clothes entered and left the town through its guarded entrance – the same gate Joseph passed through last night. Even some of the bushes seem to move. From afar Joseph saw a brown ball with leaves on its top moving – but maybe he only fantasized that.

The scent is nothing like the spicy exhaust fumes in his city! Since Joseph woke up he'd sometimes smelled an intense scent - like a dirty cow stable would be next to him. He first thought that it was 'just' the blanket he'd used in the Inn, which maybe detached its scent onto Joseph's shirt – until he realized that it was actually Cremia who smells like that. But he only smelled her when the wind was calm. A soft breeze on the other side brought the mild taste of the stone bricks, mixed with a wooden spice that came from the buildings.

"Cremia, will we meet again? I-I mean under better circumstances of course." Joseph asked. She smiled and replied with: „We definitely will!"  
But before Joseph moved away she wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

„Joseph?"

"Yes?"

„Where will you go now? What will you do?"

„Well, uhm, good question. I have not the slightest clue where I should go. So many questions and not a single answer!"

„Hmmm ..." Cremia thought with a smile. „You said you're hungry, right?"

"Damn, I would give anything for some food right now!"

Cremia's smile got bigger. „Then join us at dinner! I want to invite you."

„Really? Only if it doesn't bother you ..."

„Of course not. We get guests so rarely, Romani and I always appreciate some company!"

„Okay then. Thank you!"

Joseph walked and Cremia hobbled through the eastern gate of Clock-Town. He asked her if everything's _really_ okay since everytime she moved the wounded leg her eyes expressed the pain well. But she always responed that 'she's really okay'.  
_„Honesty doesn't seem to be one of her strenghts"_ Joseph thought.

"Oh my …! By Farore!" Cremia suddenly shouted.

"What's up?"

Both went closer to the Cremia's carriage and saw the full damage. The vehicle with two large and wooden wheels was carried by a brown middle-sized horse, held by two balks. A couple of beige pots was roofed by a bowed, wooden cradle, wrapped by white cloth. Next to the hard front seat Cremia usually had her little brown bag, in which she carried the rupees she'd traded.

"It's worser than I'd expected. The horse is gone, the wheel is damaged and the pots are also smashed again!"  
Both came closer and Joseph cringed for a short moment after Cremia screamed "Oh holy Din, no!" loudly. She turned back to him with worried eyes.

"They took my rupeebag too! I-It has been a longer time since I've sold milk. I don't ..." Cremia frustratedly spoke with hands on the forehead. "I have no clue how I should pay for all this!"

"I think I can repair the wheel. That shouldn't really be a problem to me. I just need some … uhm … duct tape and glue ... lot's of glue."

"Would you really do that for me?"

"Of course – I don't really have anything better to do."

"Oh thank you, Joseph! Maybe you'll get your magic ingredients in one of Clock-Town's shops" Cremia replied.

"Magic ingredients? Oh, uhm ... well nevermind! I think some nails and a hammer could also do it. But I can't repair your missing horse and the ruble-thingy."

Cremia thought for a couple of seconds. "I know where we'll get those!"

"And where would that be?"

"Kafei once said whenever I need something I should ask his father, the major."

"Kafei? Who's-"

"Come Joseph, let's go! I my sister's surely getting worried and I don't want that!" she stressed before hobbling towards Clock-Town once again. Joseph shrugged with his shoulders and simly followed her. She must have been very in a hurry – Joseph barely could follow the hobbling woman, who pointed to the major's office in the north-east, which was on another plaza. Both plaza's were connected by a broad stairway between the Stock Pot Inn and another building.

"This way!"

"Hey, you!" a manly voice from behind shouted, stopping Cremia and Joseph before they even stood on the stair's first step. Both turned around and saw three big-bellied men in purple pants and blue vests that were coming closer.

"Aren't you Cremia?" the left man asked.

"Yes, I am" she carefully replied.

"So you're the one who always brings us that good milk?" the right man asked, causing her to nod.

"Your milk's so good! Way better than that watry swill from the Gorman Brothers!"

"Thank you! Glad to see that someone actually enjoys it."

"Tell me, is that wagon near the eastern gate yours?" the middle one asked. Cremia nodded slightly, with her eyes looking towards the ground.

"Who did that?"

"I don't know who it was. I'm sorry but – I'm in hurry! Let's talk another day, okay?" Cremia humbly said.

"Of course, it was nice-"

"Wait a minute ..." Joseph interrupted. "Are you engineers?"

"Engi-what?"

"Uhm. Builders, workers, carpenters, experts in structural- and civil-engineering – something like that?"

"We're carpenters" the right one responded.

"So I did see right. Okay uhm, can you give me some nails and a few planks? And a hammer of course!" Joseph asked.

"Of course we can!" the left one replied. "That's great!" Cremia replied.

"But definitely not for free" the right one added.

"Dude, she got robbed last night and her property got destroyed, heck she even lost her money! All I ask for are some nails and planks, not an NGO contract!"

"No money? Okay, then lets say we want … some milk" the right one demanded. "For free and for a whole week!"

Joseph only replied to this with surprised eyes. First they complimented and now they don't even help Cremia out. She had no other choice to agree with their demand.

"I'm okay with that. Joseph, I'll go to the major, please go back and repair the wheel."

Joseph nodded, followed the carpenters and got the needed tools to repair the wheel and other parts that got damaged. _"Yeah, whatever. What wouldn't I do to finally find out where the fuck I am and how I ended here! But I get a free meal, so I got that going for me, which is nice!"_ he thought on the quiet.

Standing in front of the wreck again with nails, a hammer and a couple of small planks in his hands, he checked the wheel out closer. It was a larger, wooden and solid wheel without any tread. Four thick timbers seemed to be the wheel's spokes. A quarter of the wheel got cut out, so that it doesn't only tilt forwards but also slightly to the right.

"_A wheel with only three quarters left can't roll well"_ Joseph thought. Fortunately for him the missing piece lay near the wreck. He pulled the wagon one meter backwards until the missing space faced upwards. He then took the missing piece and fixed it with four small planks and plenty of nails until it could be called a wheel again. _"Man that thing's heavier than I've thought!"_  
After a couple of minutes, in which Joseph cleared away the pot shards, Cremia came through the east gate with a new horse following her.

"Nice!" Joseph spoke loudly. "Well, two DC motors would have been better but hey, it's something!"

"I'm glad they gave me a new horse – barely but still. Unfortunately without an escort" Cremia replied.

"Don't worry, you have me!"

* * *

**Part II  
**On the forest path called "Milk Road" – Afternoon

* * *

After Joseph and Cremia finally prepared everything they needed for the ride to her house, the drive remained in silence for nearly half an hour. Both sat next to each other on the front seat, even though it was a one-seater. Cremia watched out for the gravely and stony way while being sunken in worrying thoughts besides. She was both, attentive and inattentive at the same time.  
Joseph, on the other hand, wasn't better either. While he attentively checked out the surroundings and the landscape, his mind always tried to reconstruct what happened before he woke up in the forest. He's not a forgetful person but his blackout was immense.

Cremia sighed and managed to get her attentiveness back. Through a large bump of the gravely, leave-covered road Joseph's and Cremia's shoulders touched, causing Cremia's attention to focus on Joseph. She looked at him sometimes with a smile but he didn't recognize that due to his neverending questioning.

"Joseph?" she asked to finally break the silence.

"Huh?"

"Thank you."

"Oh, uhm. For what?"

"For everything you did."

"No problem. Glad that I could help you."

"Why did you help me? You could have gone away."

"Why is helping such a big deal? I only did what's right. Well, at least what I think is right."

"It was weeks, if not months ago since I've met a hero last time. Selfless men are rare in Termina."

"You call it heroism, I call it civil courage."

This answer silenced Cremia for a short moment. But through her own worries it also caused her to smile. She looked into Joseph's dark brown eyes and wondered once more. Brown eyes are a rarity in Termina. But that's not the only thing that's odd. Several other things on Joseph distinguished him from the rest.

"Where are you from?" she curiously asked.

"I'm from Europe."

"Europe? Where's that? I've never heard of this land before."

"Right now I also don't know where it is" he commented after looking around. "You call your land Termina, don't you?"

"That's correct" Cremia nodded.

"I've never heard of Termina either. I still believe I'm dreaming. Everything and everyone looks so … different here."

"_We_ look different? If someone is looking different then you're the one!" she explained with a laugh. Joseph only replied with a thinking mien.

"Don't get me wrong, Joseph. I don't want so sound rude, but … you have the dark eyes of a Zora, the ears of a Gerudo and the body of a young Hylian. Also your clothes are weird – I don't even know what material it is since it feels so … unnaturally soft. I can't even say what your perfume smells like."

"Perfume?" Joseph smelled at his T-Shirt. "That's fabric conditioner!"

In all of the long drive, both slowly got to know each other. If Joseph only knew that Cremia actually admired him the same way he did with her. Dark brown eyes are seen as beautiful pearls, since those were rare among the human-like Hylians. Quite different from the Zora, pride and graceful people from the seas, where such eyes were common.  
Round ears, so say the Hylians at least, are a symbol of strength and power. Every Gerudo, a strong race consisting of sea- and desert-marauding women, has round ears.

As fast as the dialogue had started, it had also ended. With talking and a bit of humor time always passes by so fast. The path through the forest found an end and both arrived at an widely, open grassland, which was surrounded by the juicy, green forest. On the middle of the gravel road Joseph had a perfect view all over Termina. But what he saw first were two buildings coming closer with every step Cremia's loan horse made.

"Finally back" Cremia said before parking next to one of the buildings. From outside both buildings looked primitively built. The house they'd parked next to was held together by brick-walls, supported by dark-wooden timbers. But the building was old, so much of the white paint already crumbled down. From top to ground the walls get dirtier and dirtier. The roof was made of a hay web, thick enough to get called a roof. The building next to Joseph seemed to be a kind of cow-stable since every few minutes a loud "mooo" could be heard coming from the yellow painted brick building.

"Looks like an old ranch" Joseph commented.

"It is, Joseph. Let me welcome you at Romani-Ranch! The home of Clock-Town's freshest milk!" she spoke with streched arms and a smile.

"Thank you for the invite. Can I-"

"Sister!" a young girl's voice shouted across the juicy grasslands.

"Romani!" Cremia shouted before kneeing down.

"Romani was worried about sister! Where has she been?" she asked after jumping into her sister's arms.

"I had to stay over the night in Clock-Town. There were _so many people_ to give milk to."

"Why is sister's skirt so red? Did somebody-"

"Nah, it's nothing! Someone spilled red potion all over it. Nothing to worry about" Cremia lied, shrouding the true happenings. She also did everything needed to let Romani not know anything about her aching leg.

Cremia released her again and Joseph looked closer at the young girl Romani. The interesting thing about her was that she looked very similar to Cremia. She also had long, orange-red hair that reached down her back. Out of which stung two long ears and her eyes were also stunningly blue. Just like Cremia's skin was hers pale and freckled. Like her wore Romani a yellow scarf, bound together with a bronze button but instead of a purple skirt and an apron, she wore a simple, white dress that reached down to her brown, dirty, leather boots.

But through all the similarities Romani still looked unique. Her hair was more crimpy and tousled. Her head was rounder, whereas Cremia's face was more edged. Romani also seemed to be a lot more younger than her sister. Cremia was about Joseph's age and slightly shorter than him, whereas Romani was slightly over half her sister's height. Also the voices are different. Cremia had a dark, calm voice whereas Romani spoke in a childishly silver and fast voice.

Romani turned to Joseph and looked at him with big blue eyes. "Hello, who are you?"

"Hi, I'm Joseph!"

"Joseph looks funny and cute! Is Joseph sis' friend?"

"Romani!" Cremia interrupted. "Don't be rude to our guests! I've told you that _several_ times."

"_Yes_, sister!"

"You look cute as well, Romani. Nice to meet you."

"It is also nice to meet Joseph! But Joseph is a weird name. What about … uhm … Blueberry? See, you wear blue clothes and your head is rounder than sister's, so Romani will call you Blueberry."

"Romani!" Cremia shouted. But Joseph only had to laugh. "Please exuse my sister's behaviour. She always-"

"Nah, I'm fine with that. Your sister doesn't only looks cute, she _is_ cute!" he commented.

"Romani wants to show you the house and the stable and how well she shoots and where-"

"Romani! Our guest is hungry and wants to eat! You can do that later."

"_Yes_, sister!"

With her sister's last words, Romani ran back to the wide grassland again. Cremia tried once more to excuse Romani's behaviour, which wasn't offensive to Joseph in any way. He found her unbraked courage of speeking mixed with its unusual style very cute. The older ranch-girl and the engineer both went into the house, in which Joseph's nose got greeted by an intense scent of milk. But not the milk you can buy in the supermarket. No, I'm talking about how milk tastes like when it directly comes from the utter into a pot.

To the entrance's right was a haystack, a couple of milk-pots and some pitchforks leaning to the slightly crimbled wall. Joseph wondered about that since it is unusual to have such things in the house in which you are supposed to sleep and eat, even for the farmers Joseph had known.

On the entrance's left side was the kitchen. A large, round, wooden table with a white tablecloth and some flowers on it served as the dinning table. Two smaller treetrunks, which had cut out a corner functioned as a quite uncomfortable chairs. The two ranch sisters didn't seem to get visit that often – only two of such stairs stood in the whole room. Shelters, drawers and a cooking workspace at the wall functioned as the actual kitchen. Opposite of it led brightly wooden stairs to the upper level.

"You can sit here, Joseph" Cremia pointed at the larger one of the two chairs.

"Oh, that's a chair?" Joseph commented before sitting down.

"I know, I know. Probably not the kind of chairs you're used to. But we can't afford a better one and-"

"Feels okay actually. I like that long backlean."

Joseph sat down and took a deep, relaxing breath. Looking at the ceiling, he closed his eyes and enjoyed a few seconds of silence that were only interrupted by the floor's creaking noises Cremia made with every step. But inner peace wasn't granted to Joseph. His mind always tried its best to climb back to the mountain of questions that lured inside his head. If Joseph only had the pickaxe that finally could open the tunnel of enlightenment.

Cremia on the other hand thought about Joseph. By checking the upper shelves and drawers on the stony kitchen's working space she searched for the best way to fill her guest's empty stomach. Joseph glimpsed to Cremia, who showed him her back, and quickly checked her out from the top to the bottom. But he did not even dare in the slightest to compliment her on her unusual beauty. Joseph thought: _"Not bad!"_, took a deep breathe and ...

"I'll make us a ranchfast, okay?"

"A what?"

"Don't you know ranchfast?"

"No, how should I?"

"Ranchfest is a cuccoo egg, some bovine strips and several Zoran spices, rolled in a pancake".

"That uh … sounds good!" responded Joseph with worries. Sounded more like a breakfast than a satisfying noon break.

"Okay then. Hopefully … we'll have enough to eat" Cremia commented and went to the stairs. "I'll be right back. I just want to change my clothes. That blood slowly starts to itch."

Joseph nodded and waited with an empty view to the ceiling again. But no peace was granted once more – but this time it wasn't his mind. Romani rushed through the squeaky door and left a trail of dirt behind with every step she made. Fortunately for her Cremia didn't see that, otherwise she would have had to clean the white stone-floor.

"Hello Blueberry!" she greeted. "Where's sister?"

"Sister is upstairs and changes her skirt."

"Great!" she responded. Romani walked to Joseph and took his hand. "Now sister won't interupt us! Romani wants to show Blueberry _everything_!"

Joseph smiled while looking into Romani's eyes. "Well, why not? Show me _everything_!" he laughed. Romani dragged Joseph then to the outside once again. For a girl her age she was actually quite strong … or Joseph was just weak, I don't really know. She showed him indeed everything – the wide grassland, the 'cuccoo shack', the barn's inside and even some hidden places in the surrounding forest. Romani even showed Joseph how well she can already handle her small, yellow bow by shooting at orange balloons.

Joseph could only stand next to her with widely opened eyes. Five balloons in just seven seconds – that's truly amazing for a girl her age.

"I'm not even mad, that's amazing!" he said. "Romani, if I may ask: How old are you?"

"Romani is eleven but soon she'll be twelve! And how old is Blueberry?"

"It's amazing how well you can shoot! Where did you learn that? Oh and I'm twenty by the way."

"Romani's father used to teach her some tricks! But now Romani has to learn it herself to defend sister and the ranch!" she explained.

"You're probably the most interesting eleven-year old girl I've ever seen!" Joseph replied.

"Romani!" a voice shouted from behind. Both turned around and saw Cremia, who stood in front of the house with her arms akimbo. "Can I finally have my guest back?" she demanded. "Dinner's ready!"

"_Yes_, sister!" Romani responded disappointedly. The young, energetic redhead and the engineer with the question-filled head went towards the ranch house, driven by their rumbling stomaches but braked by the intense, orange sunset that slowly disappeared behind the juicy treetops.

"Romani," Cremia began with a serious face. Due to Cremia's eyes Romani already knew what's up. "You will clean the floor before we go to bed. I have told you _several_ times to kick against the walls before you come inside! I want a clean house, especially when we have guests. Do you understand?"

"But-"

"But no buts! Who makes dirt, also cleans it!"

"_Yes!_ Sister."

While walking inside, Joseph looked at Cremia, who looked back to him with a sigh. Was Romani really her sister? Their relationship was more like mother and daughter than sister and sister.

"Cremia?"

"Don't worry, Joseph. It's not rare that Romani and I have to speak … a little bit louder sometimes."

"How old are you? You look young for someone so reasonable."

"I'm nineteen."

"Nineteen!? That's just a year younger than me! I mean … uhm … that's great! Uhm ..."

"Did sis make Ranchfast? The kitchen smells like Ranchfast."

"Yes, Romani. I had nothing else to make. I … forgot to buy food today."

"Ranchfast is okay! Romani likes Ranchfast."

"I'm really sorry I can't offer you something else, Joseph. But I tried my best and hope you'll like it!"

"It smells quite good. Come on, let's eat! Can't wait to try it out!"

Cremia put out three small, white plates with blue patterns on its edge and put two Ranchfast Rolls onto each of it. The steaming rolls smelled spicier than they'd looked like. Joseph took his plate and a small, wooden fork and stood next to the table. "Don't you want to sit down?" Cremia asked.

"I don't want to take your seat away. I _really_ don't mind standing." Joseph replied.

"Blueberry is a very kind guest! Romani likes Blueberry!" Romani commented, causing Joseph to smile.

"I also enjoy your hospitality! You two are very kind people!"

The humble meal compensated its lack of stomach satisfying with a taste that let Joseph's palate shiver with every bite he made. The soft pancake hugged his tounge while the egg slowly flowed to its downside. The ranch's eggs taste different than the eggs we know. Their yolk tastes more intensely and the egg white has a basic spice that tastes slightly like herbal salt. But besides that, the food was also spiced with other salt that doesn't taste so aggressive like ours.

Joseph enjoyed the tasty meal with every bite he took. "Joseph," Cremia interrupted. "Where do you sleep at night? I mean wheres your home?"

He looked around, followed by a sighed. "I don't know. Since I neither know where I am, nor how I came here I assume I'll sleep under a tree this night. But I still hope it's a dream, so I'll wake up anyways."

"Why do you keep saying you're dreaming, Joseph? You are really on Romani Ranch right now!"

"The strange thing is: In a dream you actually don't care about the world surrounding you. In most dreams you simply accept it as it is. But if I look around here, then everything looks so … odd to me. Like I would be in … a dream or a game."

"Whatever happened to you, someone must have hit you on your head quite hard. Sleep over it, it also helps me most times when I don't know what to do" Cremia suggested before turning to Romani. "Romani, would it be okay to you if Joseph sleeps here for a night?"

"Of course, sis! Romani likes Blueberry already. He's a good listener!"

"Oh, uhm. I-I can't accept that offer! You already gave me this good food and I-"

"Come on, don't be that humble! I have no problem with having you in my house either. I think you are a trustworthy person!"

"And so does Romani!"

Joseph smiled, looked at both ranch-sisters and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. If you insist, fine! Maybe I'll really wake up while sleeping … or something like that!"

* * *

**Part III**  
Romani Ranch – Early Morning

* * *

Joseph couldn't thank the two ranch-girls enough for their generous offer. Instead of sleeping between trees or on the forest's dirty-wet ground he slept on a haystack between two thick (and quite tickly) blankets. The improvised bed was okay in comfort but Joseph woke up several times due to sneezing. The hay let his nose tickle in an unbearable way. But at the end he slept well until he dreamt of another earthquake.

"Good morning, Joseph!" a beautiful voice whispered into his ear.

"What the-?" he responded. After slowly opening his eyes he saw Cremia's face right in front of him. "Oh, hi! Ugh, how late is it?"

"It's about five o' clock in the morning!"

" Oh my god why so early? That's way too early for me!"

"We always stand up around this time. To be honest I've already breakfasted, while hearing you snorting and seeing you sleeping."

"But why?"Joseph rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I can barely stand up at eight o'clock!"

Cremia laughed loudly. Another thing that seemed unusual about Joseph was his passion for sleep. Most people in Termina stand up so early to be ready for their jobs. "It's all for the ranch business!" Cremia explained. "The earlier you stand up, the more you can do and sell."

Joseph rubbed his eyes for another time before he took a milk container, placed it next to Cremia and the table and sat down. Cremia smiled at him with her chin resting on her hands.

"Are you hungry? I made Ranchfast again."

"Sure, I'll take some. They taste good. Unusual but good. Do you also have two or three cans of energy drink … and about one litre of coffee as well?"

Cremia laughed. "What in Nayru's name is an energy drink?"

"Uhm … it's a drink that gives you energy … at least I believe it does. After I drink that I am fit and munter again … most times." Joseph explained while he shook his shirt until the last pieces of hay finally fell out.

"Like a red potion?"

"More like five tons of sugar in liquid gummybears and bull piss."

"Good morning sister!" Romani interrupted, coming down the creeky stairs.

"Good morning, Romani. Have you slept well?" Cremia asked.

"Romani slept like a warm cuccoo baby!"

All three sat at the round table and ate one portion of Ranchfest along with a bottle of fresh ranch milk. After they finished their meal, Joseph stood up, collected all the plates and brought them to the workspace of the kitchen. Cremia and Romani both looked surprisedly at Joseph. "Where is the sink? Or the waterpipe?" he asked.

"Water is outside in the rainbarrel next to the barn. Or if you go into the forest, there's a small river five minutes from here."

"Uhm, okay. That's also a way to save water costs ..."

He went outside with the four plates, the forks and the knifes. Cremia decided to follow him and Romani stayed inside to drink another bottle of milk. Standing next to the rainbarrel Joseph used the bucket next to it to clean the plates and the forks.

"Joseph?" Cremia interrupted.

"Sup?"

"I don't understand."

"Uh, what?"

"Guests never do chores … in any way. Why are you doing this? You already did so much for me, I feel guilty for not returning anything to you."

"What great should I ask you for? You've let me stay for a night and cooked for me – a total stranger. That already means a lot to me. I have to thank you, not vice versa!"

"You saved my life, carried me to Anju, repaired my wagon and now you're doing chores. If somebody should say thank you then it's me!"

"No need to say thank you that often. We're not in Canada!"

Cremia shook her head with a smile, followed by a shoulder shrug. Thinking about Joseph's kindness and his low demands let her see a great opportunity. The right time for a great offer had come!

"Joseph, you can stay here at the ranch – as long as you want."

He dropped the plate into the rainbarrel and looked into her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Right now I could really need some help here at the ranch. Romani's not a great help because she always runs away when I order her to do something. If you really lost your memory and you're homeless, then you'll have a place to think and sleep – and my leg would thank you as well."

"What about food? Didn't you 'forget to buy food'?"

"Joseph, we're a ranch! I can easily get cuccoo-eggs if we need something to eat."

"Are you really sure you want to keep me? I could be a robber as well" he said with a fake smirk.

"If you're one, I would have noticed it already" Cremia laughed. "You're a kind man and I see no reason why you shouldn't live here. But you have to help me out here at the ranch until my leg healed … or I can afford a red potion."

"Deal!" Joseph smilingly said before shaking Cremia's hand.

"Then let's start the day with milking the cows!"

With Cremia's generous offer Joseph didn't have to worry about a roof over his head or food anymore. He couldn't thank her enough for this. Both used the afternoon to milk the several cows all over the grasslands and to collect the cuccoo-eggs in another building near the ranch. Cremia first stood next to the cow, since kneeing was painful to her, while Joseph did the work until he asked why she doesn't use a container to sit on. Doing such farmwork was odd to Joseph at the beginning. The way the utter felt like disgusted Joseph at first but after a few minutes of trying it wasn't a problem anymore.

Joseph slowly got used to the work at the ranch which had also something relaxing on it. The silence of the juicy grassland was only interrupted by the rustling of the nearby forest, by a sudden "moo!" or by Romani, who shot balloons with her bow again – this time while riding a pony.  
The fresh rural air always got spiced up when the wind was quiet. Through the smell of hay and cow poop stung a sweet but weak female scent that came from no one else than Cremia.  
Suddenly a male shout, coming from the ranch's entrance, interrupted the milk meditation.

"Miss Cremia! Miss Cremia!"

Both looked at the voice's origin. A man in white shorts, white shirt and a red hat ran towards the two ranchers until he stopped next to Cremia.

"I have a special delivery letter for you."

"Special delivery? Who sent this?"

"It's from Anju and Kafei. They said it's very urgent."

"Okay, thank you" Cremia spoke and the postman ran away without further words. Joseph looked at her while she glimpsed to him as well. Why in the world would anyone send her special delivery? Cremia was curious and opened the purple patterned letter. She read the foreign and illegible letters written black on yellow:

"Dear Cremia and Romani,

I am sorry to interrupt you in your work but please come as fast as possible to us. It's about the boy in green, who had saved Termina months ago. He asked perturbedly and weepingly for help. I don't know what to do – he cries between our books in the Inn library. Maybe you and Romani are our last hope!

Sincerely, your Anju!"

In silence fold Cremia the letter again and put them back into the case. "Joseph," she began. "Let's ready the wagon!"  
Both stood up and went to Romani. But this time Cremia didn't let her behind a world of fairytales. Instead the elder rancher told her the truth and readied their wagon once again.

"Sister?" Romani asked while Cremia connected the wooden timber with the horse-sattle via brown leather ropes. "What's wrong with Grasshopper?"

"I can't exactly say what's wrong. We will see."

"Does Blueberry know why Grasshopper weeps?"

"Blueberry doesn't even know who Grasshopper is!" Joseph replied.

Without further words all three rode towards Clock-Town once again. Romani couldn't stop to annoy her 'sis' with plenty of questions concerning the so called Grasshopper. Cremia always replied with "I don't know" whereas Joseph sat in the backside in silent thinking. Within three quarters of an hour the ranch-girls and the engineer arrived at the eastern gate of Clock-Town, where they ran to the Stock Pot Inn. Beyond the creaky door stood Anju behind her desk.

"Anju, whats wrong with Grasshopper!?" Romani unpatiently asked.

"Romani! Greet first before you ask!" dunned Cremia.

"_Yes_, sis! Romani is worried, so hi Anju! Where's Grasshopper?"

"Hello Romani, hello Cremia and hello Joseph – thanks for coming" Anju responded.

"Hi Anju. I tried to come as fast as possible. Where is he?"

"Please come to the library" Anju asked without further words. Next to the stairs was a dark corridor that led to the other rooms on the Inn's ground level. Cremia quickly hobbled to the door that was straight at the end of the corridor. Romani and Joseph of course followed.

Anju met with the trio at the even creakier door before opening it. A intense scent of burnt firewood, mixed with yellowed paper, welcomed all four before they saw _him_. With bright blue eyes in an edged face, slightly long and blond hair, most of it hidden beneath a long, green pointed cap and the body of a child clothed in a green tunic he sat between towers of books … weepingly and sighingly. In front of his brown-booted feet lay a sword with golden and silvern patterns on its blade and hilt, a shield with a golden edge and a screaming face on a mirrored surface … and another mountain of books that covered his left boot and half of the sword.

"It … it can't be possible ..." the boy cried.

"Grasshopper!" Romani shouted before running to him and hugging him … but the boy didn't react to the warm hug.

Cremia sat down next to the so called Grasshopper, whereas Anju and Joseph stood in front of him. She and Romani asked him several times what happened but no response like before.

"Anju, what happened to Link? Why all the books?"

"I don't really know. Kafei got informed by guards that they've found him in the sewers weeping, hurt, starving and thirsty. Kafei and an escort immediately went to him and carried him to us, where we supplied him. The next morning he ran to the library and couldn't stop reading all kinds of books. I don't know why but … he never told us what's wrong."

While Cremia and Anju discussed, Joseph had a strange feeling about the boy. He seemed … somehow familiar. Like he would have seen him somewhere in his life before. Joseph thought for a second. He still believed that all of this is just a dream, so reproductions of familiar faces were possible. But it wasn't Link's face that seemed familiar. The long cap, the tunic and the bright green was what felt familiar. But where did he see that before? Joseph couldn't rem...

*boom* resonated loudly through the darker room after Romani slapped "Grasshopper's" face. His left cheek slowly became red as a tomato. Anju and Cremia couldn't believe what they just saw and Joseph simply raised his eyebrows after he got thrown back to "reality".

"Oh my … Romani!" Cremia loudly shouted. "In Farore's name did you lose your sanity!? Apologize to Link immediately!"

Anju held her hands to her mouth with widely opened eyes while Joseph curiously observed the situation. Cremia pulled Romani to her and scolded her.

"Thank you, Romani" the young boy in green replied. With wondering eyes looked Anju and Cremia at him.

"Grasshopper, finally tell Romani, sister, Blueberry and Anju what's wrong!" she demanded.

"I am … trapped in Termina! I don't find home anymore!" he replied.

"Wait what?" Joseph interrupted. "You too?"

"Are you trapped too?" he asked and both replied with yes at the same time.

"Yesterday I woke up in the middle of nowhere and don't know how I got there. Thanks to Cremia I didn't starve last night" told Joseph.

"I've been searching my way back to Hyrule for seven weeks now" Link said before weeping again.

"Hyrule?" Joseph asked. This word felt as familiar as Link's clothes.

"Link, we'll help you in finding your way back home" Anju offered smilingly after kneeing down next to him.

"With every day that passes by I feel that Zelda and Hyrule are more and more in danger! What if I missed something? What if they need me again?"

Joseph immediately opened his eyes widely. Another word was the third and last thing that sounded familiar to him. This time more obvious and enlightening.

"Zelda!?" he shockedly asked. "Did you just say Zelda?"

Link stopped weeping and looked at Joseph with wateres eyes. "D-Do you know her?"

"Zelda? Hyrule? And you are Link!" Joseph spoke before Link nodded. "I've seen you before, but … this … it … it can't be!"

Joseph stepped backwards until the bookshelf stopped him. Two books fell out of it and hit his head. He glimpsed to Cremia, Romani, Anju and Link and saw the truth. With distraught he whispered: "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask"

"What's wrong, Blueberry?"

"T-This can't be true! T-This whole world can't be! All of this … it is an invented fantasy world in a game, made by some weird Japanese guys! It's a videogame! There's no logical way I'm truly here!"

"Great," Romani commented. "Now we have two lost men!"


	3. Ranch Life

**{{{ Chapter 3 – Ranch Life }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Stock Pot Inn's Library – Late Afternoon

* * *

"This can't be possible! I'm in the game world! No, this … it's impossible! I refuse to accept this as real!" Joseph despaired. With every second passing by his confusion grew more and more. His mind couldn't handle the encounter and he denied it as a dream again. Another one of Joseph's confrontations in which an answer raised more questions. What is reality? What is fantasy? Where in god's name did Joseph land and particularly why?

"Man in blue?" the green hatted boy carefully asked. "May I ask you a question?"

Joseph nodded, so Link asked. "Did you also pass the corridor beneath the clock tower? That's the way I went … but now the path's blocked. Do you know anything about it? I _must_ find a way home!"

"There is a corridor underneath the tower?" interrupted Anju suddenly. "I am sorry Link, but there is nothing but the clock gears. I've never heard of a p-"

"But there _is_ one!" Link spoke loudly. "By Farore I swear to you! I rode my horse Epona through tall woods, fell for what felt like an eternity and went through a twisted corridor afterwards. It led me into the clock tower's machine room. I don't lie to you! Maybe the blue man went the same way."

"No, I don't know what you're talking about. I got shocked before I suddenly woke up in the middle of a forest. I got chased by a huge pile of nope, saved Cremia with the third binomial formula and then she saved me in return – and now I am here. My mind is blown!" Joseph explained and shook his head. "Oh and … please call me Joseph."

"Are Grasshopper and Blueberry really sure there's no other way home?" Romani asked.

"Romani, I saw the sun sinking deep in the west, saw how the sea touched the sky there. Met thousand people of all peoples, heard all of their songs and stories. I was in the north, in the east and in the south, spoke with dreamers of the reality, encountered truth and lies, went with and against time. I stood on the frozen peaks of tall mountains and looked down far down to Termina. I went from the outlet to the head and slept on silk and sand. But whatever path I took – Hyrule was nowhere to be found. Like it would be erased from history. Like it would have never existed!"

With a bowed head Link's eyes watered once again. "Like Zelda would be erased from history."

"And like Europe would be erased from history ..." Joseph commented.

"I am sorry" Anju calmly spoke. "I've neither heard of a land named Hyrule, nor of a land named Europe."

"Me neither" Cremia commented.

"Romani hasn't either."

"But maybe it is just me. Maybe it is on a map" Anju commented. "We have one, but … I forgot where. I'm so sorry, shame on my memory!"

"Maybe, just maybe, it's that big roll with the brown ribbon next to you" Cremia responded with a laugh.

"Oh yes, that's it. How embarrassing!" Anju replied and shook her head.

Cremia and Anju took the broad map and stretched it onto the small table. Joseph and Link both came closer and gazed at it. On yellowed and partially ripped paper the gigantic world of Termina was painted brown on yellow with as many details as possible.

"We are here" Anju pointed at a tiny dot on the map. What Link and Joseph saw was mind blowing in size. This tiny dot was Clock-Town within the wide lands of Termina. But Termina was just barely the half of a big landscape formed like a peninsula. Only Termina's capital city in the southeast – the 'golden city' Areysi – was large enough to cover more than just a dot. The mountains, the ocean and the swamp surrounding Clock-Town, which Joseph and Link had seen – they were so small, you could cover all three areas with your fist's underside.

In the far north, bordering on Termina, was the empire of Gidoronia and the nation of Noctania – but according to Cremia, Romani and Anju no one of them ever went there. Not even Link, who traveled widely across the lands, crossed the border of this mysterious landscapes.

"So where is this Hyrule or Europe?" Cremia asked.

"Romani neither sees a kingdom Hyrule, nor does she see the kingdom Europe. Do they really exist?"

"It does!" Joseph and Link spoke at the same time.

"I don't live in a far away land you call a lie!" Link commented. "And neither do I!" Joseph added.

"I am sorry but," Anju interrupted "my mother once told me when there isn't a place on the map – it simply doesn't exist!"

"Did you mother also tell you that video game worlds or characters don't exist?" Joseph cheekily asked.

"I am sorry but, I don't think she said that. Maybe I should ask her again..." Anju naively replied.

This let Joseph laugh for a few seconds until he felt a flash of wit. He gazed at Anju, at Cremia, at Romani, at Link, at the map and at the sizzling fireplace. _"Or all of this is just some kind of … virtual reality ..."_ Joseph thought. _"But damn, the graphic's are stunning!"_

"Where will Grasshopper go now?"

"I must check out the gate in the tower again. There _must_ be a path behind! It simply must b-"

Cremia kneed down in front of Link and put her right hand on his shoulder. "Aren't you hungry – or tired?"

Link hesitated and shook his head afterwards – he didn't want Cremia to put out. "Link, please be honest to me. You know we're ready to help our friends whenever we can" she demanded and smiled.

With watered eyes Link looked into Cremia's. Carefully he replied with: "I feel so hungry ... so tired … so helpless … and so abandoned."

But before Cremia could give him a hug Romani rushed way faster to her Grasshopper. She nearly squeezed Link. "Romani doesn't want Grasshopper to feel so bad!"

She turned back to Cremia. "Sister, please – can we help him like we do with Blueberry? Romani loved it to play with Grasshopper. He's such a nice boy!"

Cremia smiled at Link and Romani and nodded. "I think we can do that."

Through Link's sad face stung a humble smile once again that finally broke the series of disappointment. He couldn't thank the ranch sisters enough for their generous offer. Link stood up, took a few of the books and put them back into the shelves. Before he and the redheaded farmers left he didn't want to put Anju out either.

Joseph in the meanwhile slowly calmed down. The old idea of dreaming got replaced by thinking he's in a virtual reality. This still raised many, many new questions like the way he entered this world or how not only the graphics can be so real – but with every question that tried to torture his mind again he persuaded himself that he should accept it as it is right now. He might be trapped in the world of Termina, but whining about it won't solve the quest. Finally sparks of reason overcame Joseph, so he let time decide what will happen and simply followed the ranchers and the adventurer in green.

Joseph, Link, Romani and Cremia left the room again – slowly at first but after Anju offered them to eat at the Inn again all four began to run. They went through the crowded eastern part of the town

and back to Cremia's carriage again. The sisters sat on the front seat whereas Link and Joseph sat left and right on the backside, where Cremia usually stored her milk-pots. Romani and Cremia both whispered into each others ear – silent enough to be illegible for the two travelers. An hour later the four arrived at the wide and juicy grasslands of Romani Ranch again, blinded by the bright sunset stinging through the forest.

But before Cremia and Joseph pulled the wagon into the barn, Romani couldn't wait for any longer.

"Sis, didn't you want to tell Grasshopper and Blueberry something?"

"Romani, I said at dinner!"

"But they should hear it now!" she grizzled.

"What do you mean, Romani?" Link asked.

Cremia rolled her eyes and replied with: "Fine, then tell them if you can't be patient for thirty more minutes."

"Yes sister. So, uh, L-Link and Joseph please listen up!" Romani spoke, joyfully but also carefully. Hearing their real names through Romani's mouth was something that even her sister hears rarely. All three listened carefully, even Cremia, who actually knew what she'll say.

"Sister and I decided that you can both live here at the ranch. Blueberry helped sister before and Grasshopper helped Romani before. If you both help sis at the ranch you can live here as long as you want. Romani and sister will never feel lonely again! And Romani will have-"

"Ah come on, Romani. You talk too much! Just do this:" Cremia interrupted before she suddenly hugged Joseph and strongly pressed his body to hers. Joseph's eyes opened widely and his mouth slowly formed to a big smile. He closed his eyes and embraced Cremia as well. Romani did the same thing to Link, who's cheeks blushed to tomato's red. But unlike Cremia did Romani nearly squeeze the poor boy in her arms again. Neither Joseph, nor Link had ever felt such a heartwarming hug before. Whatever problems Link and Joseph had, they could not deny that being embraced by such wonderful women let them forget everything around them. No matter if child or adolescent, both felt warm and fuzzy inside.

"_Oh mighty Din, tell me what did I do to deserve such benevolence?"_ Link thought.

"_My god this is … wonderful"_ Joseph thought.

The ranch-sisters hugs felt different from the hugs you might know. The warmth and fuzziness was only caused due to all their love they canalize to the person they hugged. Their warm bodies and the mix of their natural scent intensified heartbeats no matter when or whom they hugged.

"Welcome to Romani Ranch, your new home" Cremia whispered into Joseph's ear. But he couldn't reply. The feel of warmth and Cremia's breast on his chest left Joseph speechlessly behind.

"Grasshopper, glad to have you here at the ranch. Please play with Romani every day, okay?" Romani whispered into Link's ear. But Romani squeezed him so hard, Link could barely breathe, even less speak.

The sisters released the adventurers again, who both needed a couple of seconds to come back into 'reality'. Joseph needed time to not see stars and Link needed time to breath again – but Romani already had another question for her sister.

"Sis, where will Blueberry and Grasshopper sleep?"

"I think they can sleep in our room as well. There's still enough space on the ground."

"Can't they sleep in our beds? The ground is so hard-"

"And where will we two sleep, my dear sister?"

"We sleep with them of course!"

"What? N-No that … this won't work."

"But Romani's bed is large enough for Grasshopper and Romani and sis' bed is large enough for Blu-"

"No, no, no t-this is not possible. T-They'll sleep on the ground!"

"But sis-"

"No buts, Romani! It's still my house and you do what I say!"

Romani sighed loudly. "_Yes!_ Sister!"

Link watched over this debate with an innocent glance whereas Joseph chuckled silently. Joseph understood well why Cremia's didn't want her sister to share a bed with Link since preteens usually tend to 'try out different things'. The older ranch sister actually wouldn't mind sharing a bed with Joseph - but thinking about a possible cuddle let her intense shyness overwhelm her once again.

Cremia smiled but shook her head in the hope to shake such thoughts out of her head.

All four went inside the ranch house and checked out the humble sleeping room upstairs. Inside it stood two beds in the right corners. One of which was small and had a pink and white blanket whereas the other one was larger and had a teal and white blanket. Between both beds lay a brown, round carpet on the birch wooden floor and a pink drawer with a pink framed mirror stood between the windows over each bed.

"But sis you can't let them sleep on the cold, hard ground!"

"Of course they won't. We'll give Joseph and Link some blankets, so that it won't be that hard anymore. But we don't have pillars for you."

"Romani still thinks that's a bad idea."

"You've heard your sister, Romani. I think my pullover and some blankets might do it as well" Joseph said. "But first I have to get rid of the blood."

Romani gazed at Joseph shockedly. "Did Blueberry just say … blood?"

"Uhm, I mean of the red potion of course. It just looks like blood. I was joking ..."

After both "beds" were prepared and all four ate dinner, they soon went to sleep. The ranch closed at 8:00 pm and the ranch-girls were used to go to sleep so early – unlike Joseph, who's biorhythm was most active at this time – just like a real engineering-student. But if he wanted to live at the ranch, he had to adapt to Cremia's rules.

On the first night it needed some time to finally find a comfort sleeping position on the, still hard, ground. Joseph reconstructed all events from his arrival in Termina till the moment Cremia hugged him. Cremia's and Romani's generous offer gifted him safety in this rough lands. With a smile Joseph slowly fall asleep and slept like a cuccoo baby.

Link on the other hand worried that he would become a burden to the ranchers. What if he annoys Cremia and Joseph? What if Romani doesn't want to play with him anymore? But these were just the smallest worries. The strongest feeling aching in his heart was homesickness. The mysterious place he calls Hyrule seems have big place in his heart.

Romani fell asleep the fastest, even though she still felt disappointed and hoped to have a warm body next to her. When Romani was younger she loved to sleep in the arms of her sister or her parents – particularly when she felt afraid.

Cremia also fell asleep quite fast but blushed and smiled once again until she shook her head once again. Those damn thoughts!

* * *

**Part II  
**Inside the Ranch House – Three weeks later

* * *

Twenty-one days have passed since Joseph and Link accompanied the diligent, sometimes rigorous but still affectionate rancher Cremia and her cute, brisk and swift sister Romani at the ranch. Together they mastered the huge amount of farm work with ease and Cremia's milk business has never worked better before. Well, not everyone was as busy as a bee. Romani always tried her best to avoid any of the boring work. Instead she focused on her archery skills, much to the chagrin of her sister. But one evening Romani helped Joseph in designing a funny, but still convincing, sales pitch for the ranch – a much better one than Cremia's old one.

Also had Link the idea to sell the mysterious drink named "Chateau Romani", which receipt only Cremia knew, directly to the people instead of just selling it to the milk bar in eastern Clock-Town. The milk bar paid Cremia only about twenty percent of their milk sales, which was nothing compared to the milk's quality. No wonder the ranch sisters sometimes lived on the edge of poverty. But with Link's idea, Romani's and Joseph's sales strategy and Cremia's tireless effort, she soon had to purchase a larger rupee bag. With that much rupees she could cure Joseph's and Link's backache by purchasing two new chairs and two real beds for them.

The four ranchers sat at the table at noon and finished the last bites of a juicy beefsteak and the last sips of fresh ranch milk.

"So what's on for today, boss?" Joseph asked and rubbed his filled stomach.

"You'll come with me today, okay?" Cremia replied while looking at Joseph. "I want to show you – something interesting."

What did she want to show to him? For some reason Cremia smirked and blinked. Was this a sign? Or did he fantasize that? Joseph was never the best in understanding hints girls have given to him. He carefully smiled back. "Uh, okay."

"What about Grasshopper and Romani, sis?" Romani asked.

"I don't have any important chores for you today. Why don't you play and stay outside? Today it's so beautiful outside!"

"Yahay! Thank you, sis!" Romani cheered. "Come on Grasshopper, let's shoot balloons while running!"

She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the door. But through Cremia's voice heard Joseph a message that told the preteens to stay outside for … a bit longer. His hunch seemed to become more and more realistic.

When Romani and Link finally closed the door behind, Cremia stood up and went next to the stove. She smirked, held her hands behind her back and looked at Joseph.  
"Joseph, come to me" she demanded in a calm voice.

He stood up, gulped and also looked into her deep blue eyes. A deep breath followed but couldn't calm down his nervousness – instead it increased it slightly. _"Uh-oh"_ he thought.

"Come closer, Joseph" Cremia demanded again – and he came closer with a crazily fast-pumping heart.

"O-Okay. I am h-here ..."

"You'll definitely like this!"

"_Okay, shit just got serious!_ _Take it like a man, Joseph. Take it like a man!"_ he thought.

Joseph stood one meter in front of her. He stood steady, held his hands behind his back and was ready for the final encounter. He closed his eyes, took another deep breath and pursed his lips until he heard the creaky kitchen cupboard door. While slowly opening his eyes, he saw how Cremia held a bottle with a shiny, purple sticker in front of his face. He gazed confusedly upon it.

"W-What is this?" Joseph confusedly asked. _"Whew! That was too close!" _he thought.

Cremia grinned and asked: "Have you ever tried Chateau Romani?"

"No, I haven't – you want me to give it a try?"

Cremia nodded and opened the bottle for Joseph. At first he smelled the mysterious milk. The scent of a milk-, vanilla- and cinnamon-mixture hugged his nose – and through it stung an alcoholic aroma. A bit like egg liqueur - but not as aggressive as ours and also not so sweet. Joseph sipped at first to get a feeling about what to expect. His tongue shortly bathed in the wonderful drink that let explode his gustatory nerves with pleasure and joy.

He trusted the tasty and mysterious drink and took a big gulp. His eyes opened widely, he coughed six times with tears in his eyes until he felt how the intense liquid let energy flow from his stomach region up to his head and down to his toes – and this not only once. This wasn't the kind of "energy" from the drinks we know. It was energy that let Joseph feel like he could shoot lightnings out of his fingers. Energy, which let him jump kilometers from rock face to rock face up the Großglockner and straight downwards. Energy, in which a nuclear power plant is only an AA battery in comparison to him. Well, at least he thought so.

"Holy shit, Cremia! What - the hell - is that? I feel – so damn fucking good!" Joseph joyfully shouted.

Cremia couldn't help but laugh. "Don't drink so much at once! It's something to should enjoy slowly."

"Forget coffee and energy drinks. That's the real shit!"

Cremia laughed loudly. She had no idea how much of an effect the drink had on a non-Terminan person.

"Joseph?" she asked, dragging him back into reality.

"Yes?"

"Can I trust you?"

"Uh, yes. Of course you can. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason."

"If I'd planned something to harm you or Romani, then you would've noticed it already, wouldn't you?"

Cremia smiled. "I definitely would have! Listen Joseph, I think I can trust you, so I want to teach you how to make Chateau Romani. Alone I can make about thirteen bottles a day but I'll need your help to produce and sell more. With your, Romani's and Link's help we won't have to fear about rupee shortages anymore. What do you say?"

"C-Cremia, this … it would be an honor to me to help you!" Joseph smile. "With that much energy I could produce hundreds, if not a thousand bottles."

"But please promise me to keep the receipt secret. It's a secret to everybody, except the family of the Romani Ranch or to the most trustworthy friends of them. Its a sign of trust."

"Nobody will ever hear anything from me. Its our secret."

"Okay, then watch carefully."

Cremia put the needed ingredients for the production of Chateau Romani at the table and sat down together with Joseph. Both sat quite close next to each other.

She put plenty of empty bottles, a wide choice of Terminan spices and liquids and a few kitchen-tools like an eggbeater, a two bowls, two beakers and a few spoons onto the table – not to forget the three big milk pots next to Cremia. She began to explain and finished after half an hour. The process in making Chateau is complex and time consuming. Joseph only remembered about twenty percent of what she explained – but after two more hours Joseph finally made his first tasty, creamy Chateau Romani. It tasted well but Joseph still needed some practice. There's one special liquid – a mixture of red and green potion – that must be used very carefully. One drop too much and the Chateau will become too spicy. One drop too less and it will miss it's well known kick.

With Cremia watching over his steps and giving tips to him, she began to feel a warm and pleasurable feeling around her heart. Also the heartbeat became faster and she smiled for apparently no reason every time she touched his hand. Was she getting ill again? Did she enjoy to explain things while somebody listens her words carefully. Or was _it_ happening again? There was one special thing she needed to know about Joseph.

"Joseph," she began, carefully. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can. Just ask."

"The land where you come from, Europe ..." Cremia hesitated at first. But Joseph's curiosity raised. Both looked into each others eyes. "Do you have a family there? Parents, brothers, sisters, pets – a girlfriend?"

"Only my parents and my cat named Stanley. I have some very good friends but no girlfriend" Joseph replied smilingly. "What about you? Where are your parents?"

Cremia's smile went away and her eyes looked down. "Didn't Romani tell you what happened with them?"

"Romani only told me that your father is traveling across Termina."

Seeing Cremia like this was obvious enough that this was a lie. He put his hand on her shoulder and asked: "Is … everything okay?"

She silently sighed before beginning to tell.

"Our mother Phairene died after she gave birth to Romani. I was eight at that time and I held Romani in my arms when she was just a few minutes old. The last words my mother spoke to me were that I should watch out for her whenever I can. She closed the eyes and my father cried like Romani – for a reason I didn't understand. At first I thought that she fell asleep – but that was naive of me."

Joseph's heart was touched. So Romani didn't grow up with a mother? This might explain why Cremia seems to behave more like a surrogate-mother than a sister.

"I … don't know what to say. I feel so sorry for you. Seeing her dying is … just wow. I can't imagine how I would've felt at that age. I respect it if you don't want to tell more about it."

Cremia smiled again and looked into his eyes. "It's okay. I also respect your curiosity."

"Okay, then … what about your father?" Joseph carefully asked.

"Like you surely have guessed did he not go traveling" Cremia began to tell. "When I was fifteen years old my father Heigo once went into Clock-Town to sell milk – but he never returned. I only told Romani that he went on an adventure but what I've heard from a few witnesses did Gerudo Pirates take him with them. Since then I took all the responsibility for the ranch and my sister."

"And that with fifteen years!?" Joseph shockedly responded. Cremia nodded.

"That's so sad … but somehow also amazing! You have my greatest respect, Cremia. Without a doubt – you're the most reasonable woman I have ever met!"

"But isn't that what you called civil courage?"

"No, this time it is heroic." Joseph replied.

* * *

**Part III  
**Grasslands of Romani Ranch – In the meanwhile

* * *

While Cremia and Joseph produced Chateau and shared their background stories to each other, Link and Romani in the meanwhile prepared everything needed for their archery-training.

Six balloons bounded on a crate, four balloons with an higher altitude bounded on the path fence and two balloons with a lower altitude bounded on the cow tails of the briskest cows. Twelve balloons as targets – but Romani only put seven arrows into each quiver.

"Okay Grasshopper, now the balloons are ready. Let's do it like this:" Romani began to explain her idea. "We'll start at the ranchland entrance and then move clockwise around the forest border, then when we're at the barn we'll start to run to the center. The rule is that we always have to run, no matter when. Romani tells Grasshopper what balloon she will shoot and Grasshopper tells Romani when he shoots, okay?"

Link nodded and was ready for the practice. "Get ready to run in – one – two – three!"

After three Romani ran as fast as the wind and Link could barely catch up with her. "Romani'll shoot this one first!" she shouted, drew an arrow out of her quiver and shot the first crate balloon down with relative ease. Shooting out of running is something that not even Terminan archers can do very well – and Romani did it like she would be born with bow and arrows.

"I'll shoot this one!" said Link, drew an arrow and shot down the second crate balloon.

"Good shot, Grasshopper!"

Then the two arrived at the first cow balloon. The target itself was moving – either by the whips of the cow's tail or by the cow itself – and most times was both the case. "I'll take this one!" Link shouted, shot and – missed! But even though he missed, it popped one second after his shot.

"Got it!" Romani responded. Her incredible senses and reaction time let her see Link will miss within half a second. In the other half of the second she reacted immediately. For a girl her age, she was able to react and shoot faster with more accuracy than most archers around Termina.

So went it the whole training. Link missed another time at one of the fence balloons – whereas Romani didn't miss once. He leaned to the fence and coughed whereas Romani jumped of joy and cheered: "Yahay! We did it!"

"See Grasshopper?" she asked in a short break. "Romani's very fast at shooting! Does Grasshopper also think that Romani's good?"

With his mouth widely open he replied: "In Din's name! Romani, you're awesome! In just seven weeks you learned to shoot better than I do!"

Romani jumped onto Grasshopper and both felt to the ground, hugging each other and causing Link to feel warm and fuzzy inside. "Aw, thank you so much Grasshopper!" she joyfully replied.

Link couldn't help but blush. He rarely got hugged by women – especially not cute ones that rolled on the ground and laughed with him. Romani's joy also shined into Link's heart and let him forget his feeling of homesickness. Such lovely preteens. Both stood up again, knocked off the dirt and grass and both looked into each others blue eyes.

"Grasshopper likes it when Romani hugs him, doesn't he?" Romani curiously and smilingly asked.

"Yes I, uh … I do".

After his answer, Romani hugged him even harder. This time she indeed squeezed him. Link smelled her unwashed, wild hair and responded her hug by carefully putting his arms around her warm body as well – and both stood for nearly a minute like this. The two cows grassing near them enjoyed the view, which was confirmed by a loud "moo".

"Grasshopper, can I … ask you something?" Romani calmly whispered into his ear.

Link's eyebrows raised, he smiled, nodded and slightly trembled. Were things getting serious now? Romani's cheeks were slightly red and she closed her eyes, followed by a deep breath and she came closer, step by step. Link was usually prepared for every situation, no matter when. But concerning girls he was always a bit shyer … for apparently no reason. He stood steady, closed his eyes and awaited the encounter with the cute girl. Was the highly-energized, young ranch-girl really about to …

"Grasshopper," she whispered into his right ear. "Can you teach me how to fight with a sword?"

"Oh thanks heaven!" Link responded and released his tension.

"Everything okay, Grasshopper?"

"Y-Yes, of course R-Romani. I was just a bit … nervous."

"Why should Grasshopper be nervous?"

"Oh I uh, well … because, uhm ..."

"Romani doesn't bite. Romani only barks!" she explained with a laugh. "So what do you say, Grasshopper? Romani's curious about some of your techniques!"

"Yes, I will. I-I mean to teach you my sword."

"Yahay!" she joyfully responded before jumping high twice. Right after she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the barn, where the ranch sisters stored old, frayed scarecrows. Cremia once had the idea to use them as a deterrent against the greedy and glutton darkcrows. In times where those flying beasts were common around the Terminan skies they stole the nutritious grass of the cows – and in rare cases they even killed and ate the cows themselves. The crows don't get scared by the dummies itself but by small bells that rang in the cool breezes. Highly-pitched noises scared them for a reason Cremia did not understand.

Romani and Link built up a row of four scarecrows next to each other. The victims for their training faced west in the last remaining light stains of the setting sun that shined through the forest behind. But fortunately for Romani and Link remained still enough time before nightfall. The young girl couldn't wait for any longer.

"Come on, Grasshopper! Finally show Romani how to be a sword master like you!"

"Alright!"

He gave her his sword with its golden and silver patterns on its handy hilt and sharp blade. Link along with this sword killed many dangerous creatures in Hyrule and Termina. What neither Romani, nor Cremia, nor Joseph, nor Anju and her husband, what nobody knows – Link is actually a chosen one. This blond lad, gifted by the three mighty goddesses with unbelievable courage, once saved Hyrule from the dark menace that overcame the lands. By going with and against time and by awakening seven sages they were able to defeat the self-appointed grand master of evil.

When Link's quest was completed he traveled across the lands in the search for a friend. A friend that travels with him.

But this search was interrupted by another act of terror that overcame Termina and Clock-Town. A young being of the deep forests, named Skull Kid, threatened Termina under the hate-imbued and vengeful influence of Majora's Mask with the fall of the moon. Within three days that Link repeated and repeated and repeated all over and over again the young hero managed to save the innocent lives within Termina.

Later on his guts felt like Hyrule overcomes a new threat – but in a search for seven weeks Link hadn't found Hyrule anywhere. Like Joseph was Link trapped in a world he doesn't understand.

"Romani, hold it like … this!" he began to explain while standing behind Romani. He held her soft, warm hands and guided her to the optimal position to do the maximal possible damage to their targets. The young hero smiled and took a deep breath. Feeling Romani's warm body and hands let him forget his search for Hyrule. But the warmth wasn't the only thing distracting him. Through the, quite tangy, scent of Romani's dress, which also smelled like a cow stable, and through her unwashed, wild hair that smelled like a mixture of earth and grass, stung a sweetish, girlish note into his nose that let him smile. _"Girls can smell so wonderful"_ thought Link.

"And now?" she interrupted – dragging Link back into reality.

"Sorry, uhm. Okay now you must-"

"Is really everything okay with Grasshopper? He's so quiet today!"

"Yes Romani, I'm really fine! I feel _very_ good. Now listen: When you see the enemies, always watch out for their weak points first! In most cases they'll attack you directly but this isn't smart. Always be the smarter one – always! Defend yourself first and then haul off for a strike at their weak points" he explained. Link took the sword again and showed her with slow strikes where to hit with the most efficiency.

"And now you. Cut the other targets as well." Link took a few steps backwards, just to be sure. But his mouth was widely opened after Romani swung his sword like she already had training for several years and like she had fought many battles. She nearly danced across the field and within seconds were most weak points and key parts of the dummies cut in half.

"Was Romani good?" she innocently asked her teacher.

"In Din's name that was pure amazing, Romani! You fight like a Gerudo with all the dancing and quick strikes but you've hit every point without even looking!" Link replied. "Not what I'd expected since I prefer to stand calm but you're amazingly talented! Where did you learn that?"

"Romani's father Heigo taught her to handle a bow and a sword. He taught her the basics but some other things Romani had to learn herself!"

"What do you mean with 'had to'?"

"Romani fought against _them. They_ come every year at carnival and sister still doesn't believe Romani."

With _'them'_ Romani meant an unknown form of life that came every year to the Romani Ranch with the aim to steal their cows. A gloomy form of ghosts or aliens that floats over the field in a purple body, with brightly glowing eyes and with greedy claws that hungered for the barn. Heigo and Romani always gave their best to defended the ranch against _them_ but unfortunately Cremia and her mother Phairene never believed them, no matter how much they tried to convince them. Whatever this unknown threat was, it was nothing that occurs naturally in Termina.

"After Romani's father went away she had to learn how to defend the ranch. Every year Romani tried new techniques against _them_ and with that she was-"

"Hey!" interrupted Cremia loudly, shouting from the ranch-house. "Come inside, it's getting dark! Dinner's ready!"

* * *

**Part IV  
**Inside the Bedroom – Two and a half weeks later, Early morning

* * *

Eighteen more days of peaceful ranch life had passed in which Link and Romani trained their archery- and their sword fighting skills along with their speed and agility.

Eighteen more days of hard work in which Cremia and Joseph milked, mixed and bottled liter by liter of fresh milk and Chateau Romani.

Eighteen more days of researching in which Joseph and Link studied map my map and book by book, driven by their slowly growing homesickness for Hyrule and Europe.

But on the rise of the nineteenth day happened something special. Something that needed to be celebrated. Everyone was awaken and already dressed up – except for one person. Link, Cremia and Joseph stood next to Romani's bed. The young ranch-girl still snored and her hair was unkempt like it never was before. Cremia gently shook her but instead of waking up she scratched her shoulder and simply turned around. Link and Joseph giggled and Cremia shook her faster. "Romani, wake up!" Cremia laughingly spoke.

"Ugh, why?" Romani replied, slightly grumpy.

"Redleaf, wake up!" Link demanded. In the eighteen days that have passed by, Link and Joseph – also known as Grasshopper and Blueberry – gave Romani a nickname as well. She runs as fast as the wind and her hair flies wildly through the air, so both named her Redleaf.

"Grasshopper? Ugh …" Romani replied and slowly turned around. She looked at the six eyes that gazed upon her, much to her confusion. "Sister? Blueberry? What's up? Why is everyone looking at Romani?"

While Romani rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes, Cremia began to explain: "Romani … today's a very special day."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Have you forgotten it?" Cremia asked. "Today's your birthday of course!"

"Oh … right …" Romani replied and laughed awkwardly.

"Happy birthday, Romani! We wish you a happy twelfth year!" Link, Joseph and Cremia said at the same time, causing Romani to blush and smile. The young girl usually likes attention but to that huge amount of attention she wasn't used to.

"I have a special present for you, Romani!" Cremia said, making Romani curious. "Today we'll drive to Great Bay! You always wanted to see it, didn't you?"

Cremia's words seemed to be magical. In a matter of seconds went Romani's sleepiness away and revealed her highly-energized personality again. All over the bedroom she jumped full of joy and cheered "yahay!" loudly. Seeing the ocean was something Romani had always wished for. Every year she annoyed her sister with the wish to see Great Bay.

"Wait until you're older" she always replied.

"I have work to do" she always replied.

But now Cremia granted Romani's wish to see the world surrounding her.

On this day Cremia baked an extra tasty breakfast – just for Romani. But she was the first one to finish the tasty meal instead of enjoying every bite of it. Joseph and Link in the meanwhile prepared the wagon, which was ready within ten minutes. Romani couldn't wait for any longer and immediately hopped onto the front seat, where she sat together with Cremia. But Romani faced backwards to see Joseph and Link, who sat at the carriage's rear.

While they drove towards Great Bay Redleaf, Blueberry and Grasshopper played a card game named "Dancing Rancher". This game isn't known around Termina because Romani was the one, who invented it. Heigo and Phairene used to play card games together before Romani was born. But after Phairene died Heigo never played cards again – for a reason Cremia never understood. So he let them get dusty inside a drawer – until Romani found them to invent her own game that she still plays with her sister many evenings before going to sleep.

After nearly an hour the four arrived at Clock-Town, where they simply drove by. In the mid of an exciting Dancing Rancher match Joseph said some bad jokes to make everyone laugh – at least he tried to.

"Hey Link, how to you call a boomerang that won't return?" Joseph asked.

"I have no clue" he replied and shrugged his shoulders.

"Romani doesn't know either!"

"A stick" resolved Joseph. Joseph laughed at the joke itself and the rest laughed as well – but not because of the answer itself. They laughed because of how bad the joke was.

"That's the worst joke I've ever heard" Link commented while still laughing.

"A bad joke that makes you laugh isn't bad" Joseph replied. Cremia simply smiled and shook her head.

After another hour all four arrived at the long awaited coastline named "Great Bay". But not only Romani was impressed by the pure beauty of the ocean and its untouched nature. Joseph also had never been at a beach before. He was used to mountains and forests but not to an ocean. The salty and cool breeze coming from the white beach cleaned the lungs with every deep breath the four took. But for Cremia and particularly Link Great Bay was nothing new.

Cremia brought some blankets, so that their clothes won't get filled with itching sand. She and Joseph lay down next to each other, where they enjoyed the heat of the sun and the cool breeze for a couple of minutes before they joined Romani's card game again.

"What about a nice swim? Do you have some bikinis and swimming pants?" Joseph asked.

"A bikini? What's this?" asked Romani.

"Oh, you don't know those?" Joseph asked. "Well uh, a Bikini is bra and panties made for swimming. Girls and women use them for swimming pools, lakes and seas – well at least they do where I come from. Is there no such thing in Termina?"

"But why do they need special underwear for swimming? Won't the rest of the clothes get wet anyways?" Cremia innocently asked.

"Uhm … there are no other clothes than that 'underwear' of course."

Cremia's eyes opened widely. So that means they basically swim in their underwear? For Joseph that's the most natural thing in the world – but for Cremia it was surprising. Men in Termina usually see other women in underwear when they're married and about to-

"Sis?" Romani interrupted. "Why don't we go into the water then? Romani hasn't bathed for days anyways so she can-"

"N-No, Romani. We won't go into the water!"

"But why?"

"B-Because, uh, the water is very c-cold and I, uh, don't want you to become ill! I care about your health, Romani! That's why!" Cremia explained. Her cheeks blushed and she felt awkward. Imagining herself to bath in underwear next to Joseph or Link – how embarrassing that must be for her. Cremia actually has a beautiful body but in Termina it isn't a matter of course to swim in the bay half naked. Particularly for Cremia, who has always been shy around men.

On the later afternoon, Romani asked her older sister if they could ride to Clock Town. What she had heard from Clock-Town's inhabitants has the western part plenty of markets. Maybe there's something she and her sister could afford. Cremia was okay with that and so drove they towards Clock-Town once again. They parked the wagon in the north-eastern field of Termina as always and they went through the eastern gate of Clock-Town – except for Cremia, who searched her rupee bag.

"Sister, what are you waiting for?"

"I search the rupee bag. Don't know where it is. You can go ahead, I'll come later. Let's meet in western Clock-Town."

"But hurry up!" Romani demanded. Cremia nodded and continued searching.

The sun was already setting and Clock-Town wasn't that filled with people this time, so walking through was way easier this time. They arrived in the western part and Romani already spotted something that let her eyes sparkle. It was a small pendant, formed like a stag beetle, which claws were white and which body was red – Romani's favorite color. The price of fifty rupees was also acceptable and not that much compared to the money Cremia made in the days since Link and Joseph live at the ranch.

Half an hour later and Cremia was still missing. "Where is she?" Link asked.

"I don't know. It actually shouldn't take minutes to grab a bag. Maybe she's searching us ..." said Joseph, thinking of a possible reason.

"But western Clock-Town isn't that large actually" Link explained.

"Maybe sis drove back to the bay and lost her bag there."

"Nah, I don't think she would do that without telling us."

"Let's go back to the wagon. Maybe she's really just searching the bag" Joseph suggested.

"Not a bad idea. Better than talking."

Joseph, Romani and Link felt worried about Cremia. Maybe those Gormans attacked her again. Maybe she was really in big trouble again. _"Hopefully not"_ thought Joseph. They left the town through the eastern Gate, where they saw the carriage's rear – but no Cremia. When they turned to the carriage's front all six eyes shockingly opened. On the ground lay Cremia's precious horse, next to it a few red stains. Link came closer and touched the horse, but it wasn't sleeping. No breath, no reflex, nothing. The horse was dead – and Cremia was still nowhere to be found.

But what especially drew their attention to it was an arrow shot into the horse's body – and pinned to it was a small, yellowed paper. Romani pulled the arrow out of the horse and took the paper.

"What is going on?" Romani asked, full of shock.

"Oh no … not those fuckers again. And that at Romani's birthday!" Joseph nervously whispered to himself.

"L-Link, what is written on this paper? I … can't read!" Romani carefully asked. Only Link was able to read the letter. Joseph can only write in his own language and Romani never learned to read and write.

He came closer and took the paper, written in Terminan letters and signed with a skull in its upper right corner. Link carefully read the letter out loudly:

_"Boy in green, feel my warning. _

_You took from me, so I took from you. _

_Three days and three nights you shall have. _

_On the sunrise of the fourth day the head of this peasant girl will already adorn my wall. _

_But if you insist to ever see her alive again I demand the treasure you stole back. _

_I am awaiting you – we are awaiting you. _

_\- Aveil" _

A message that let Link shiver to his bones. If that what was written is true then Cremia is in trouble – big trouble!  
Romani looked into Link's eyes and wept bitterly.  
"Why my sister? Why did they take her? Who is this Aveil? I will kill her!" Romani cried.

Link hugged Romani in the hope to calm her down and looked into Joseph eyes, who was worried and confused. Link was even more worried – because he knew Aveil means business.


	4. A Birthday with Obstacles

_**Notes from the Author:** Hi my dear readers! I am terribly sorry for letting you wait for nearly two months again! :( _

_But I have good reasons for it, so please let me explain this massive delay:  
__First of all I wasn't really inactive. In fact did I plan many things for my first real book, which is based on this FanFiction (and will be released somewhere in 2017 – written in German).  
__Within those weeks I:_

_\- Designed six (!) intelligent and different beings with their peculiarities (beings like the Gorons or the Zora). These beings are called Fluggsel, Noctotraoz, Kriko, Bulbork, Krampen and Gitan._

_\- Designed several flora and fauna (and based on those came two completely new vegetations/landscapes)._

_\- Started to draw the huge world map, which I'm drawing onto an A1 paper (594 x 841 millimeters) right now. It's a map I've already drawn onto a small paper but now I am redrawing and designing it in a much (!) larger scale._

_\- Developed a raw plot for all five books with some quite detailed parts. I took all the ideas I have for the FanFiction (inculding the planned sequels) and redesigned them for the upcoming 'real' story._

_All those things did I write into my notebooks, which I carry with me all the time. When I had free time or an sudden idea I always wrote into these books, so progress is still going on. ;)  
__Now the reason why I didn't continue writing: It's because in mid January I ... well ... fell in love. Followed by this were the end of January and the whole February busy days at work (10 hours per day) and whenever I came home the only thing I desired was to fall into my bed and to fight against the thoughts in my mind._

_But now the two weeks of holidays completely refreshed me and I am back for more writing ;).  
__Have fun while reading and please keep giving me feedback – I will need it later!_

_Sincerely, KorneliusPrisma! :)_

* * *

**{{{ Chapter 4 – A Birthday with Obstacles }}}**

* * *

**Part I**

North-Eastern Termina-Field – Evening:

* * *

Full of anger, fear and sorrow drowned Romani slowly in her tears she'd released onto Link's shoulder. Joseph's and Link's heart pumped fast and both felt together with the young ranch girl. Another time was Cremia in danger – but this time kidnapped by Termina's most feared marauders and killers.

Link and Joseph looked dismayedly into each others eyes.

"I don't understand. Why Cremia? Why not me? They want me, so why did they take someone innocent?" Link asked, releasing his upset by a punch onto the carriage's wheel.

"Who are _they_? Another rivaling ranch?" asked Joseph.

"No, the Gormans are _nothing_ compared to the Gerudo Pirates!"

"Did you just say … pirates? You're kidding me, aren't you? Pirates!?"

"Yes, pirates. In fact the most blood-thirsty and aggressive ones I've encountered so far."

"How swell ..." Joseph sarcastically responded. "And what shall we do now?"

"I don't have a clue. We can't let Cremia die because of my–"

"G-Grasshopper?" Romani carefully interrupted. She released Link but still held his shoulders to keep a connection with him. "W-Where are these pirates?"

"They dominate the north-western part of Great Bay from their fortress."

Romani nodded and released Link before she ran towards the empty wagon and grabbed her bow, which she then held in her right hand, and her quiver, which she then carried on her back. Without further words ran the young girl as fast as she never did before towards west, where the sun slowly sunk into the orange-shimmering bay. Her nickname wasn't called Redleaf for no reason – she ran faster than the wind and neither Link, nor Joseph could catch up with her.

"Romani wait!" shouted Link loudly – but Romani couldn't stop. Driven by her anger, which were only cooled down by the tears flowing down her cheeks, could nothing stop her desire to free her sister from the greedy fingers of the Gerudo.

"What – the – heck?" Joseph heavily-breathingly wondered. "That girl's so much shorter than me, how can she be faster? Do – you even – physics, – bro?"

Romani became slower after running down the stairs that led to the Great Bay's path. Whatever Joseph and Link tried, they could barely catch up with the red lightning. Link attempted it with the power of words.

"What's your plan, Romani?" he shouted.

"Romani will use her bow and help sister. Romani swore she will defend sister – no matter what'll come!"

"But – didn't you say you can't swim? Because you'll have to swim to get into the fortress!" Link responded.

With this question the redheaded lightning stopped immediately. On the path through tall, bright rocks to the left and to the right, which led to the salty beach, the young girl stopped and couldn't suppress her tears for any longer. Romani kneed down and burst out of tears.

The two young men ran to her and caught their breath. The rest calmed down the massive pain in their chests and their oxygen-hungering lungs could finally fill completely with fresh air.

Neither Joseph, nor Link had ever heard Romani crying before. Out of all the cries the two young men had heard were Romani's tears definitely the most powerful. Each sigh of Romani was a direct sting into the heart and both understood the questions rumbling in her young mind. Blueberry put his right hand on her left shoulder, whereas Grasshopper put his left hand on Romani's right shoulder and stroked through her wild hair.

"W-Why did they take sister? Why not Romani? Why? Sister can't defend herself, she can't fight, she doesn't deserve to be beaten – no, she simply doesn't! Grasshopper, Blueberry, can you tell me why they–"

Joseph kneed down in front of Romani and hugged her strongly. "Romani, I don't know who or where those pirates are – but I will find them – and I will kill them!"  
Romani hugged Joseph strongly as well and soaked his pullover in her tears.

"R-Romani wants to rescue sister so much … but … I can't swim. I've n-never learned to swim – or to read. Romani is good for nothing! Romani hates Romani so much for failing! She could've easily–"

Link joined the hug and pulled Romani strongly to himself, interrupting her self-loathing. "Don't say something like that, Romani! You're probably the – uh, loveliest and – uh, most clever girl I've ever seen – a-all around Termina I mean! You're a better archer than I'll ever be – and you've invented a card game!" Link explained in a calm yet shy voice. "I came to Termina in a search for a friend. I've always thought that I'll never see this friend again … but, uhm ... after I've met you I ch-changed my mind. I've searched a friend … a-and I've found a friend! Her name is Romani!"

Romani's cry silenced and her beautiful, watered eyes wandered to Link. "Grassh-hopper, I-Is that true?"  
Link carefully nodded – and he had to breath stronger after his silent answer after the young ranch-girl squeezed him stronger and stronger.

"Romani, we'll rescue your sister, I promise!" spoke Joseph. "We promise!" Link added. But without a plan this operation would end in a short trip."This Aveil, or however she's called, gave us three days and nights, right? We should use them wisely. Rushing through her front door would be stupid and unreasonable."

"Joseph is right, Romani" added Link. "We need a good plan. A very good plan ..."

"Th-Thank you, my Grasshopper – and thank you my Blueberry. You both are right!"

Within a few seconds of silence all three hugged in the bright sunset – until Link suggested that it would be the best to go back to Clock-Town and ask for help there.

"You're right, Grasshopper. Maybe Kafei or Anju could help us again. They always helped sister and Romani!" the archer with the fire-red hair replied.

"_The Stock Pot Inn … so we meet again"_ Joseph thought. But even when Joseph disliked this squalled den he agreed with Link and Romani. Between the blue bugs, the dust layer and the sticky spiderwebs the yellowed map and the books were the best base for plans – accompanied with Anju's or Kafei's support of course. Without further hesitation ran Redleaf, Grasshopper and Blueberry towards Clock-Town while the last warm sunbeams shined over the horizon, which were only cooled down by the fresh breeze coming from Great Bay.

When the three young heroes entered Clock-Town through the northern gate, darkness already canopied the wide lands of Termina. Only small shimmers of the fullmoon's light, breaking through the overcasted sky, lighted the grassy playground in northern Clock-Town. Romani knew the playground and played there with Link and other children of all races whenever Joseph and Cremia were busy in selling milk to all the houses. If the circumstances hadn't been so bad, Romani would've played together with Joseph and her sister this time.

She, and the two young men, ran without a break to the Stock Pot Inn, where they stomped through the door like red furious bulls on caffeine. Anju sat behind her desk on a small stool and rested her head on her hands, which rested on the desk. The young inn owner must have had one heck of an exhausting day – otherwise she wouldn't have been still asleep after the loud bang and the stomping resounded through the whole inn.

"Anju!", Joseph gasped, "we – we need your help – again!"  
But no reply. Instead Anju groaned something that sounded like: "Mother, please, ten more minutes!"  
Romani climbed onto the table and slid to the backside of it, where she shook Anju until she finally opened one eye after another – slowly but still. "Anju, wake up!" Romani shouted as loud as she could into Anju's long and pointy right ear – and she nearly fell off her stool. Romani's usually calm and cute voice was able to shout louder than a cuccoo if she wanted.

With shocked eyes that did not understand what happened she dazedly looked into Link's, Joseph's and Romani's eyes.

"I-In the name of F-Farore what happened?" she asked. But after she saw the glassy eyes of Romani and the worrying miens of Link and Joseph the, usually not so fast in thinking, young woman quickly understood something was wrong.  
Without further words lay Link the letter the pirates had left onto the desk. A quick glimpse onto the letter was already enough for Anju to spot the menacing skull drawn into the top right corner.

Anju read the letter and needed two full minutes to read and understand it. She has never been the quickest in reading but along with that did her soft, small hand tremble and her heavy eyes begged for more rest. Consternation overcame her face, in which she'd covered her open mouth with her other hand. This sounded more like a bad joke to her – but the distraught faces of her three friends revealed that this was the cold hard truth.

"I … I … can't believe it …", she began, "thank you so much for telling me … but … how can I help you? I-I mean I want to help as much as I can but I'm not–"

"Anju, could we borrow the big map you have in the library?" Link asked.

"Uh, of course you can. But–"

"Thank you, Anju!" Romani frantically responded and ran through the creaky corridor back to the inn's library – together with Link, Joseph and Anju of course.

Inside the library Romani and her allies searched the big roll of parchment in and between every dusty corner. Anju stood there and asked where she'd stored it. For the sake of the goddesses! Why didn't they gift her a better memory?

But within a minute Romani and her eagle-sharp eyes spotted it in one of the lower shelves between dust, spiderwebs and tiny brown spiders, which crawled scaredly up to another nest hidden behind three green books.

Joseph and Link rolled out the giant map while Anju lit more candles near the map. Beneath the soft candlelight all of its details, from small and large settlements like Clock-Town and Areysi, from the wild coastline of Noctania, down to Manizieu Island and the Isle of Liquid Skies, from the Terminan peninsula overall and the continent hugging it on the north and the south, this map let all four oversee this living and giant world. Anju lay a small glass onto the map, which Link immediately grabbed before he climbed onto a chair to search the map.

"We are here," Link began and pointed onto a small dot on the far south-west of the peninsula.

"Great Bay is here", he pointed four finger breadths to Clock-Town's left.

"So the fortress must be … here!" he finished after moving his index finger three finger breadths to the north.

"That's not good ..." Link whispered and shook his head. "Anything but good!"

"How far away is that?" Joseph asked.

"I don't know but even with a vehicle we needed quite long, not to mention that we'll still need to get somehow into the fortress without getting spotted."

"On Cremia's wagon we needed about an hour to the coast, so by walking or running we need around two or three times the time. That means we'll already need half a day to the coast alone unless we find a vehicle. And then we have to swim somehow to the fortress unless we find a boat."

"There's no direct way into the fortress" Link explained. "Except for a small hole in the wall on the bottom of the sea. Even if we manage to get a boat we still need to dive down to the bottom!"

"B-But," Romani's eyes began to water again, "Romani still can't swim!"

"We'll teach you within those three days!" Link asked.

"R-Romani doesn't think this would be a good idea. Romani would need too much time to learn. Sister needs us as fast as possible!"

"You're right, but … the hole is the only way into the fortress" Link explained.

"But, uh–" Anju whispered – with no attention replying to it.

Romani overcame helplessness. Why did she never learn to swim? Because of this she complicated this operation and her sister is probably already dead when they arrive. Why is she such an useless cow? Salty and bitter tears flowed down her pink, freckled cheeks where three dropped onto the map. Anju and Link hugged her with one arm in the hope to comfort her … but this time her torturing mind remained stronger.

Joseph remained gazing upon the map – especially at the spot where Romani's dropped her tears.

While he wiped away the tears a known feeling slowly overcame him. It's the same feeling he had when he saved Cremia from being killed by marauders. But this time it wasn't in an emergency. This time his brain and his guts made a pact. Joseph took the glass lens next to Link and took a closer look at the map.

He then suddenly nudged Romani's and Link's shoulder. "What if we go here?" he began after he had their attention, pointing at the mountains in the north of Clock-Town. But wasn't the pirate fortress in Great-Bay? Why did he point at Snowhead?

"Do you see this?" he asked, following something with the lens. "There's a small river."  
His finger stopped at the so called mountain village – consisting of one smithy. To the smithy's west was a waterfall and attached to it led a river into the far west of Termina.

"That river is only about one kilometer behind the pirate-fortress. If we climb up next to the waterfall and follow the river, then there might be a path into the fortress through the mountains – and what I've seen can you, Romani, climb very well" Joseph winked.

Romani and Link both smiled at Joseph. This plan might be nearly as stupid as the other plan – but on this route they don't have to swim – and the pirates do also not expect an attack from 'behind'.

Anju stood there with an opened mouth and a raised index finger. "Uhm–" she began, this time loud enough to finally draw the attention onto her.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you go. I-I'll stop you from this mission!"

"But Anju!" interrupted Romani.

"You are way too young to go to such a dangerous place!"

"Anju … we _must_ save Cremia! I won't let her suffer just because 'we are too young'!" Link answered. "I already went on way more dangerous missions!"

"You are very young indeed …" suddenly spoke an unknown, deep and dark voice behind their backs – interrupting this discussion:  
Everyone turned to the library-door, where a tall man with shoulder-long and indigo-colored hair leaned to the doorframe. His bright, red eyes looked at Link and Romani and sometimes at Joseph.

"Kafei," Anju said, "have you heard what they plan?"

"Yes, every single word."

Romani's view turned sadly to the ground once again. Even the major's son named Kafei seemed to be against their, indeed dangerous, mission. The tall man went to Anju, his wife, and kissed her onto the mouth while holding her hip. "But …" he began. "Even though you're young, you have the courage and braveness not even some of Clock-Town's guardians have."

"Kafei! A-Are you serious!? The pirates are–"

"– one of Termina's greatest menace, I know. Not to forget the dangers of the mountains, which I'm also aware of" he interrupted his wife. "Anju, I can understand your worries well. But have you ever took a closer look? Look at Romani – do you remember our last visit at the ranch? Romani shot ten balloons within ten seconds and with just ten arrows. Or do you remember when Cremia tried to catch Romani? Cremia hadn't have the chance of a snowflake in hell! I believe she can defend herself very well."

Over Romani's lips shined a smile once again. Then Kafei turned to Link:

"If Link wouldn't have come to Termina, we wouldn't be together now, Anju. If I think about it would we all be dead by now. Nobody remembers that Link went through heaven and hell just to save Termina, to save Romani, Cremia, you and me and all of our inhabitants. Anju, believe me, I have never seen a man with more courage than Link – not in the slightest!"

Link's lips also regained a smile.

"Besides that, Anju … did you forget that Joseph already saved Cremia once? He came to Termina without knowledge about our land, our culture, anything about us. He didn't even know Cremia. He could have gone away like every other one would do – but helping a stranger in danger was way more important to him than searching for answers. Besides that were the marauders armed – and Joseph managed it to scare them away with words … somehow ..."

Anju took a deep breath, with her hand on her cheek. She slightly shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just not sure if it's the right thing ..."

"Romani will take care of Grasshopper and Blueberry! With an archer like Romani, with a swordsman like Grasshopper and with a strategist like Blueberry sister will be free soon!" said Romani smilingly.

"Thank you Anju. I understand your worries well – but Cremia is … like the mother I've never had! And I swore to myself that I fight for the ones I love, no matter what will come!" Link explained.

"I'm not the greatest fighter but I'll take care of Romani and Link like they would be my own children. My sense of direction and my knowledge of … math and engineering already helped me once" Joseph spoke, holding one shoulder of Romani and Link each. _"And my weapon shall be a ruler and a calculator …"_ he thought.

* * *

**Part II**

Pirate-Fortress – Evening:

* * *

In the meanwhile Cremia slowly opened her eyes again. The more she raised her heavy eyelids the more stung a nasty pain through the backside of her skullcap. The last thing she can remember is a strong hit at her head's back part – a hit so strong that her soft, long hair couldn't cushion it at least a bit. The second thing she noticed, after she managed to suppress the massive pain in her head, were two women dragging her by grabbing the sleeves of her white blouse. Her silver belt buckle sometimes got stuck between the big brown bricks that seemed to be the floor – which caused her kidnappers to pull her stronger whenever it did.

"Oh … my … uuugh … where am I?" she whispered. She carefully looked to the left and the right, where she saw her kidnappers. Both veiled their mouths and noses with purple cloth and most other parts of their tanned skin were veiled beneath purple clothes as well. What Cremia saw through her blurred view very well was their long blood-red hair, bound together to a ponytail, and their bright yellow eyes.

She remained silent. The long rod with the shiny blades on top, which the two pirates held in their other hand, was a reason enough to keep all words behind her soft rosy lips.

Suddenly both released Cremia. One of the pirates stomped onto her back while the other one stomped onto her head. This time she couldn't help but let a loud "ouch!" escape of her mouth. Both pressed Cremia with their powerful feet down to the ground so that she didn't have the slightest chance to escape. She tried to move but got kicked by another feet into her hip.

"_This_ is our bait?" a cool and darker female voice asked in front of her. "You are kidding me, aren't you?"

"No, mistress" the left pirate soldier carefully replied. "She's one of the boy's three friends."

"Shackle her!" the voice ordered.

The two feet released her again and moved to her right. Cremia in the meanwhile tried to stand up, even though she still felt weak. She used the chance to take a look at the mysterious voice's origin but the only thing she saw was red. Cremia couldn't look fast enough – the two pirates returned and one of them immediately kicked into her stomach while the other one hit her head with the hard-wooden shaft of her spear once again.

"Stay down you filthy rat!" one of the soldiers shouted. Full of pain fell she back to the ground and both shackled her hands behind her back and her crossed feet with a thick rope.

After the last knot was made, Cremia saw two red, pointy and jewelry-tooled shoes slowly walking towards her until they stopped to her left. One of the feet moved under her hip – and with a quick movement was her body turned around – facing the person who gave all the orders.

It was another woman with beautifully shining, long and red hair, bound together to a large ponytail. To shroud her beautiful, tanned skin she wore airy and wide red pants, a top that covered her breast and jewels – plenty of jewels on her lower arms, her forehead and even on the dagger she'd carried around her waist.

The woman crouched down next to Cremia and checked her out. "I'm still not convinced that you aren't kidding me" she began, looking at her two soldiers. "_This_ dirty peasant?"

Both carefully nodded. "She, another younger peasant girl and a man around her age. Those are the three which accompany the boy all the time."

"I thought a thief like this boy has – better – friends."

Full of fear looked Cremia into the woman's emotionless yellow eyes, who gazed back into her fearful blue eyes. For a couple of seconds gazed both at each other until the woman in red broke the silence again.

"If you're really a friend of this boy, then so be it. Aveil is my name. Remember it – you will need it later" she began before she grinningly came closer. "Tell me, peasant, what is your name?"

"W-What do you w-want from me?" Cremia carefully asked.

"I have never heard that name before" Aveil calmly replied – before she gave Cremia a powerful slap onto her left cheek – which then glowed red on her pale, freckled skin. She grabbed her chin and turned her head to her again to calmly demand: "Tell me your name."

"C-Cr-Cremia."

"What did you say?"

"Cremia! Cremia is my n-name! It's Cremia!"

But Aveil did not reply. Instead she looked at Cremia's dirty, purple dress and her apron while Aveil smelled at the hand, which she'd used to slap. With disgusted eyes stood Aveil up and went to the corner to her throne's left. She grabbed a bucket and went back to Cremia – to throw Great Bay's ice cold and salty water onto her. Aveil went back and grabbed another bucket – and this did she repeat four times until Cremia was completely soaked in Great Bay's water and her own tears. Her loud screams didn't seem to bother Aveil at all – and neither did her crying.

"W-What have I d-done to deserve t-this!?" Cremia cryingly asked.

"You smell like an unwashed cow – disgusting. You should thank me."

But Cremia was too busy washing the burning salt out of her eyes by blinking and weeping.  
"Thank me" Aveil ordered again while Cremia tried to turn around. She kicked her into the stomach two more times until she huddled like a caterpillar.  
"Thank me!" she screamed.

"T-T-Thank y-you … for w-washing me ..."

Aveil turned back to her two soldiers. "I correct myself. She's a good bait. I hope she'll be enough to attract this naive boy. If not you can kill her if you want – but use 'the helmet'. We need someone to test it."

The soldiers saluted, followed by a "understood!"  
Aveil crouched next to Cremia again and looked into her hurting, tear-soaked eyes. "The boy surely won't come alone. It would be great to get to know your sister as well."

"P-Please … n-not my sister! Do whatever you w-want with me but n-not my sister!"

"No?" Aveil asked, slightly laughing. "Then introduce me to your boyfriend!"

"M-My boyfriend? I don't–"

"Brown hair, tall and odd blue clothes! You know exactly whom I mean!"

"H-He's not my boyfriend …"

"Oh he isn't?"

"Jos–, I mean he's–"

"What's his name?" she asked. Aveil held Cremia's chin so that she can't look away. Her terrifying eyes already told the soaked rancher what she would do next if she doesn't answer.

"J-Joseph."

"What's his name?"

"Joseph! Joseph is his name!"

"Joseph? What an odd name. Whatever, I'll take him then. A young man like him shouldn't waste his time with such a peasant. I guess nobody will miss you – not even the boy in green."

She stood up again and ordered her soldiers to throw Cremia into the second last prison cell – the one with the dusty ground and the many spiderwebs. This was the place "a filthy peasant like her deserved the most".

Whatever words Aveil spoke – her words powerfully drilled into Cremia's mind. Inside her seethed pure rage against the pirate mistress.  
Oh how much she desired to return all the pain she got from this cruel Gerudo.  
How much she wanted to punch her onto her pointy chin or into her muscular stomach.

But anger was actually the weakest of feelings inside her. Her mind rambled with thousands of questions. What if Aveil was right? What if Link, Joseph and Romani are really glad to be rid of her? Cremia acted more and more like a mother since Link and Joseph live at the ranch. She scolded her young, cheeky archer more than once per day – and not only Romani. Sometimes even Link. Now the young ones are free of such ranting. Now they can enjoy a peaceful life in the house without her.

Huddling in the dusty corner of her cell she looked at her wet and cold clothes and smelled at her hair, which due to the water looked more brown instead of autumn leaf orange. She released her hair, trembled to fight against the coldness and began to cry loudly. Is Aveil right? Why should a man like Joseph waste his time with a woman like her? She lives in a small and old house, working all day and night without a free day. Heck, she isn't even beautiful! She had never had a chance with any man. Nobody ever desired a stinking and poor rancher like her, so why should particularly a good man like Joseph be with her?

The tears, that she couldn't stop with her hands, flowed down her cheeks and dropped onto her blouse. Her cries were so loud, two guards already shouted she should shut up. She didn't hear them. Too many doubts, too many questions rambled through her mind. But even with all the thoughts torturing her mind and her heart, deep inside Cremia wished that everything she thinks is rubbish. Deep inside she wished the guardians aren't the only ones who'll visit her – and they won't be.


	5. The Iron Mountains

**{{{ Chapter 5 – The Iron Mountains }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Stock Pot Inn – Late Evening:

* * *

What Cremia didn't know: In the meanwhile got Link, Romani and Joseph equipped by her friends Kafei and Anju – and her new family burned inside with the intention to save her – quite to the contrary of her doubts and worries. Her young sister's trembling index finger desired to bend her bow and her ally Grasshopper already remembered some of the fortress' loopholes. Only her crush Joseph remained careful and slowly shared some of Anju's worries – just to find answers to them and to forge out a plan B for any dangerous situation.

"Please follow me" asked Anju Link and Romani. Both followed her into her room, where Grasshopper and Redleaf got packed into warmer clothes. Some of Anju's younger relatives stored the winter clothes in the Stock Pot Inn – so that whenever they come to Clock-Town they try out their self-made sledges in the mountains. Against her own worries to come in trouble with her sisters and nieces lend Anju Link and Romani the brown caps, gloves, coats, thick pants and the boots with the cow-pattern.

Joseph on the other hand followed Kafei to the major's office, where he had lived. Even though Kafei and Anju had been married for several months they lived in two separate buildings. But these buildings are so close together, both didn't actually mind. Standing next to his wardrobe, Kafei's thick coat with its brown and purple patterns, his olive-green cap and his olive-green scarf along with very thick brown pants, topped off with his black boots and black gloves should Joseph keep warm in the frozen hell of Termina.

Kafei was convinced that his father would surely aid Joseph and the others on their mission. Later on, wrapped in warm clothes, all three met together with Kafei, Anju and three Terminan pikeman in Clock-Town's armory. They equipped the young rescuers with daggers, food reserves like sausages and soups in bottles and with fresh water from the north together with fresh milk from Romani Ranch. To carry all those things they got three backpacks made of leather, which they crammed with a thick blanket and their equipment.

Joseph was the one, who got the folded map and a quite small tent, which they shall use to find a shelter in the big glacier. He also put his other equipment like his phone that he'd turned off with fourteen percent of battery and his wallet into his backpack due to the absence of pockets.

Romani got one long rope with a hook and her quiver filled with Termina's best arrows. Now, with enough equipment they stood beneath the northern gate of Clock-Town – where they gazed upon the mountains and the night sky.

"Oh wait, I nearly forgot" said Kafei after Link made the first step. He put out three bottles of red liquid and gave each one.

"Isn't it a bit early to drink wine?" asked Joseph.

"That's called a Red Potion. Nowhere will you find a better medicine than in Termina! Please use it wisely."

With Kafei's last gift in their backpacks the young heroes started their dangerous journey and after a couple of hours, running up the path to the mountains, which was only enlightened by the weak moonlight on the snow, they arrived in the so called "Mountain Village". In the icy mountains the weather quickly changed from clear and calm to cloudy and windy.

"Nayru won't be on our side tonight" said Link, protecting himself from the powdersnow that blew with the wind into his face.

"Brrr … it's s-so c-c-cold …" Romani responded while knocking off the snow on her shoulders.

"Let's go inside that building over there" Joseph pointed at the mountain smithy. "Better we plan the next steps inside."

He tried to open the door but … as he had guessed was it locked. "Damnit!" he shouted, punching against the door. Link seemed to be right – the goddess of wisdom, Nayru, didn't seem to assist them this night. The cold wind became stronger with every minute passing by, the surroundings became darker and – the first snowflakes began to fall.

"The wind will steal our map." said Link to Joseph, who immediately searched wind protection somewhere around the smithy. Leaning to the south-eastern wall of the smithy Joseph put out his map in this wind-free zone. Romani held the upper and lower left corners of it while Joseph held the right edge.

"I can't see shit" Joseph swore. He knees down to his backpack and put out his white phone. He turned it on again and immediately activated his flashlight again – followed by a loud beep that told him he should charge his phone soon.

Link's and Romani's eyes went wide in surprise. Suddenly the map was lit like it would be in daylight. Joseph asked Link to hold the two other edges so that he could light the map and search it with the small lens again. To navigate he used one of Kafei's compasses, which he held together with the phone in his left hand.

"B-B-Blueberry?" Romani shivered. "W-What's this thing in your h-hand?"

"It's called a Smartphone. You can use it as a flashlight, to write unnecessary things onto social media websites and to scare away robbers that try to kill your sister" he explained. "Alright lady and gentleman, if that building next to us is the mountain smithy, then we're … here. Therefore this waterfall must be over … there, somewhere."

He pointed to the west, where Romani spotted a wall of ice between a rocky and snowy slope.

"How c-can we c-climb up there?" she asked. "I-Is this even p-p-possible while this c-cold wind is b-blowing?"

Her worries were valid indeed. The icy wind would throw them down the wall as soon as they raised three meters above the ground.

"Maybe you're right, Romani. But this is the only way. Once we're standing on the frozen river nothing can stop us" responded Joseph. "We need a closer view, I still can't see anything!"

He looked at Romani, took off his long brown and purple coat and wrapped Romani into it.

"W-what are you d-doing, B-Blueberry?"

"Please stay here and take a break from the cold. Link and I will check out the wall. Hopefully we'll find something."

"O-Okay. Thanks G-Grasshopper and B-B-Blueberry! Y-You're so c-cute!"

Link and Joseph walked up and down in front of the frozen waterfall, which was lit by Joseph's phone light. Now the wind was even stronger and standing still was a challenge by itself. Not even the hood of his sky-blue pullover together with Kafei's olive-green cap could protect his ears from the cold.

"Do you see something?" Joseph asked Link.

"Unfortunately I do not" replied Link.

"That's not good. Nothing but sharp rocks, ice and some thick branches on the upper walls! Nothing useful …"

"Thicker branches? You said thicker branches, didn't you?" a thunderstruck Link asked. Joseph, who now slowly shivered more than Romani did, nodded to his question.

"Go and get Romani! I have an idea!"

"O-kay, now you made me curious …"

Romani handed back the warm coat to Joseph. "Thank you so much, Blueberry! Romani feels so warm again!"

"Link has an idea. Don't ask me what his plan is but I'm glad at least someone has a plan."

Romani nodded and followed Joseph to Link. She hugged Joseph, who used his size to protect her against an icy gust that surprised them from the right.

"What's the plan, Grasshopper?"

Link grabbed into his backpack and put out an orange-yellow device with a silvery sharp hook and a chain wrapped around it. "Please trust me. I have tried that several times and it always worked. Joseph, please light the branches with your … white brick. And Romani – please hug me as hard as you can."

Romani smiled, released Joseph and embraced Link with her short but still strong arms. Maybe she hugged him too hard – the squeezing let him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Don't be scared and hold me as hard as you can. We'll fly up the walls" he explained and slowly counted down from five to zero. On zero a loud noise resounded through the mountain hollow and the chain flew together with the hook towards the branch, where it adhered. Not even one second later flew both, Romani and Link, quickly up to the branch in a straight line. Now upside grabbed Link the branch and dragged Romani together with himself up the wall until he lay next to the frozen river on a deep layer of powdery snow.

Now Joseph was the one with widely opened eyes. He held one hand towards both and silently asked "da'fuck?" He shook his head and couldn't make head or tail of this weird physics. Link slid down the frozen waterfall and now did the same with Joseph. The feeling to fly with Link and this small thing was weird. From one second to another he suddenly ended up on another location – but to this he was already used.

"What – the – heck is that thing?" Joseph asked.

"This thing is the reason why Cremia is in trouble now."

"What?" Romani asked. "Because of this little thing they took my sister!?"

"This thing is called the Hookshot. I – well – "lend" it once from the pirates."

"So this means you already went into the fortress?" asked Joseph.

"About three or four times" Link replied, leaving Joseph in astonishment.

"Grasshopper, give it back to the pirates! Romani doesn't want sister to die!"

"Don't worry, Romani. I will! The only thing I worry about is the pirates ability to negotiate."

Now standing kneedeep in powdersnow onto the frozen river, Joseph asked Romani and Link to hold his map again. He lit it with his phone and held the compass – _beep_.

"Low battery: Less than 10% remaining. Please charge" was the message on the screen. Joseph tried to ignore it as much as he could – but he failed and slowly worried about his only light source.

Romani, Link and Joseph looked together at the, slightly wet, map and their surroundings. The river that led to the west ended in a wide bend to the right. Mountains, trees and snow raised up the sky to its left and right and cold gusts hampered the rescuers in reading the fluttering map.

"Okay, let's see. The river separates the mountains in front of us, which is our direct path to … this location" Joseph pointed at the spot, where the river splits. He estimated the length to twenty-three kilometers. Joseph calculated that, assuming Cremia's carriage drives with ten kilometers per hour and with a driving time of about two hours, the length between Clock-Town and the beach is about twenty kilometers. This measurement he used to estimate the length to the spot where the river splits. By foot this means they will need about four hours to this location – and he was right.

All three trudged through the deep snow and withstood the icy blizzard hauling all over the mountains. But instead of four hours they had to walk five. After the second hour they had to take a rest beneath a small cave, where they ate some of their sausages and drank their water. Link suggested to immediately build up a tent in the mountain-cave but Romani, even though she nearly passed out due to the coldness, demanded to move on. Joseph suggested to sleep in the cave, where the river splits. Step by step and breathe by breathe did they fight along the river path.

"B-B-Blueberry … Gr-Grasshopper … I … feel–" she began but then fell into the deep snow. Link and Joseph immediately ran to her and Romani breathed heavily – her face as pale as the snow itself.

"Oh god, Romani!" Joseph said with his heart in his throat. "Everything okay?"

"It is … so … cold ..."

"Please hang in there for a few more minutes! The mountain is right in front of us!" Joseph finished and carried Romani in his arms until they finally arrived at said cave. He fretted that he ignored the fact that girls and women feel cold way quicker than boys and men do. Why didn't he give her more clothes?

The sun already had raised again and lit the frozen landscape around them in a soft purple. "Did we just really walk for the whole night?" Link asked.

"My eyes and particularly my feet say yes" Joseph commented. "Please care about Romani while I build up the tent."

The small chasm in the mountain was their sheet anchor. This wind-free zone felt so warm compared to the rest. Without snowflakes and wind Joseph, Link and Romani could finally warm up inside the small red tent. It was actually made for two persons … but Romani really didn't mind to cuddle with her Grasshopper and her Blueberry in cold and bitter times like these.

"Whew, f-finally! You won't believe me how much I have waited for the tent! Glad we made it so f-far!" Joseph commented, cuddling himself to Romani.

"T-Thank you a l-lot, J-Joseph! I n-nearly forgot how w-warmth feels like ..." Link jokingly thanked while covering himself and Romani beneath a blanket. He turned to her and looked at her pink-glowing freckled cheeks. "Redleaf, p-please tell me you're still a-alive!"

She slowly opened her eyes, slowly turned her head to Link and looked into his eyes. "R-Romani – has n-never – felt more – a-alive!" she responded, followed by a heartwarming smile.

"That tent is smaller than I've thought. Time for a cuddly night!" Joseph commented.

"Romani always wanted to sleep with Grasshopper" she whispered to him with a smile.

Link's eyes opened widely and his cheeks blushed. "Uhm, y-yes I – too!"

But then his heart pumped way faster after he felt that Romani pulled him stronger to herself and after she rested her head on his own. The fast heartbeat even caused Link to feel slightly too hot.

"Romani doesn't understand why sister doesn't want me to sleep next to Grasshopper" Romani said before turning her head to Joseph. "Romani also doesn't understand why sister doesn't want to sleep with Blueberry! Grasshopper and Blueberry feel so warm and you don't bite us. Sister is weird …"

Joseph also slowly got nervous. Thinking about sleeping with Cremia … he didn't know what to answer to Romani's, indeed valid, objections – and neither did Link.

"W-When we rescued her I'll, uh … ask her …" Joseph answered and facepalmed himself in his thoughts. How stupid it must sound to ask her something like that. He immediately tried to change the topic. "R-Romani, let's sleep now. W-We, uh – have to be fit and concentrated tomorrow!"

Romani nodded and quickly fell asleep. Link and Joseph both got pulled closer to Romani until they also fell asleep due to Romani's calming body-warmth coming from her shoulders.

* * *

**Part II  
Iron Mountains – Early Afternoon**

* * *

Joseph, Romani and Link rested well in this morning. They went to sleep when the sun already lit the sky once again. Their tireless desire to free Cremia from the sadistic brown fingers of the Gerudo Pirates guided them through the icy mountain landscape. But even with this good reason, no one can stay up forever. After they finally found a spot to warm up and eat they slept until early afternoon. Romani nearly lay on top of Link, whereas Joseph turned his body to the tent wall.

A loud cough, which landed directly into Link's face, was a reason to let his eyes slowly open and greet the new day. After the cough followed a yawn that also landed into his face. The warmth and slightly humid air felt comfortable – but it smelled so nasty, Link's nose forced his eyes to open quicker. He saw Romani's face right in front of him and she breathed directly onto his cheek. Disgusted by Romani's bad breath he looked away and saw the well lit tent walls. "Romani, Joseph, wake up! We have to go!" he said and shook his breathing teddy bear at first.

"No, sis. Romani wants to stay in bed!" she grizzled, causing Link to shake her even stronger.

"Oh, uh. Hi, Grasshopper!" she said like it would be the most normal thing in the world to sleep on his chest. "Is it already time to go ahead?"

"Look around!" Link ordered and Romani's eyes closed again. The tent walls were bright enough to blind her. "I think we overslept!"

"Calm down, Link" a dazed Joseph, who turned around, said. "We went to sleep when the sun was already rising, so I guess it should be around midday now."

"Grasshopper is right. There's no time to waste!" Romani interrupted.

After a short breakfast with some small breads and a few sips of ranch milk, Joseph folded the tent to its original form while Romani and Link fold the blankets. Now, ready to go on, the three young heroes took a look onto the map again. The wind calmed over night but it was still snowing a lot. No one was able to see what's fifty meters around because of a thick fog hugging the surrounding nature.

"Okay guys. We are … here. So we must walk about thirteen more kilometers into this direction over there!" said Joseph and pointed to the left. The mountain in which they'd slept, split the river into two smaller rivers – one of which led to the north whereas the other one led to a mountain-chain very close behind the pirate-fortress. "After the river makes some sharp bends, we have to go for about one more kilometer and then climb up the mountains to the left. On the other side then must be the Pirate Fortress – and hopefully something like a backdoor"

Joseph, Romani and Link trudged through the, now even thicker, layer of powdersnow and arrived at said destination in two and a half hours. This time without a nasty wind that braked down their tireless feet. Through the fog saw Joseph a mountain that looked like a hunched giant without a head.

Joseph nodded and gazed at the map again. "I guess this is the right spot! I see that curved mountain and we have already passed the sharp bends. Fortunately that mountain chain isn't that bold."

"Please stay together. Whenever someone slips we can catch each other" Link suggested.

"Romani hopes she can still climb well"

Joseph creaked his neck to the left and the right and was ready to go. "Cremia, here we come!"

Romani shook off the layer of snow on top of her brown cap. "Just a few more hours, sis!"

Link looked around and checked out the mountain in front of him. "Din, Nayru and Farore – please aid us now!"

The first rock and the first step. Second rock, second step. Third rock, Third step. Rock by rock and step by step they climbed up the mountain and made it onto its peak after one intense hour of climbing, slipping and sweating. In the meanwhile the fog got blown away by a weak and even colder wind.

"What a wonderful view!" Romani loudly shouted. All three enjoyed this short moment of joy. On top of the world they saw the bright sunset on Great Bay once again – but this time from a way better perspective. They saw the volcano-like mountain named Woodfall – placed deep inside the swamps of Termina, they saw the odd stone tower in the canyon of Ikana – and they saw the pirate fortress, which was already within their grasp. Joseph turned on his Smartphone again, just to take a photo – and before they continued he turned it off again to save the remaining eight percent of battery. Link wasn't sure if the upcoming night will be an ally or an enemy but one thing was for sure: There was no time to waste!

"Carefully, Redleaf!" Link shouted to Romani. She nearly slipped and fell down a what seemed to be bottomless abyss. The backside of the mountain-chain – called "Iron Mountains" – was more dangerous than Joseph, Romani and Link had expected.

Sharp rocks, deep abysses and slippery ice – the Gerudo were for sure not stupid to build their fortress between such a mountain and the wide, wide ocean.

This operation Joseph, Romani and Link had started was probably the most foolish rescue mission a person could ever imagine. Going through the mountains under conditions like freezing temperatures and strong wind to infiltrate a well guarded fortress of the Gerudo – not to mention the risk to fight against a whole army of female pirates with just a sword, a bow, a few daggers and a smartphone – and not to mention that no one had a clue how they'll come home safely. Even if they rescue their friend Cremia, either they risk to drown in the Great Bay, or they risk to freeze in the mountains.

But this did neither impress Romani nor Link – and not even Joseph. As soon as the sun completely disappeared beneath the ocean, canopying the world with darkness again, they arrived at the backside of the fortress within another hour.

"Thanks to Din we made it so far. Now pray to Nayru that wisdom shall be granted upon us!" Link prayed after he had released a deep breath.

"Now after you mentioned it: Wow, glad to see we made it that far!" replied Joseph.

"What next?" asked Romani while searching for an entrance. At the backside was no entrance, only a yellow and brown wall made of dusty bricks and supported by giant metal plates.

"I'm searching for the note that says "push here to activate secret door"" Joseph joked. Link laughed to his bad joke – and a few seconds later Romani, who had checked out the wall up and down, returned. "Grasshopper, Blueberry, come here! Romani has found something!"

Link followed Romani, who searched her backpack on a spot ten meters away from Joseph. Her eyes did not turn away from the wall's top while she searched the rope and hook Kafei and his soldiers gave to her.

"Ah, I understand" Link commented. "Good idea. On the roof the night and the lack of moonlight will be a great advantage. The rain is also good."

Joseph in the meanwhile was thinking about physics again. How was it possible that the temperature-difference between mountains and ocean is so large? The Iron Mountains weren't that much above the sea level and …

"Blueberry! Stop thinking and come to Romani! She has found a way inside!"

Romani explained her plan and let Joseph, the strongest one, threw the hook up to the fortress' roof, where it snatched into one of the roof's tiles. Now pulling the rope all three pulled themselves up the high wall, together with their backpacks of course. Link and Romani sat on the sloppy roof and checked out the small building in front of them. Joseph slowly dragged himself onto the roof as well and gasped loudly when he arrived at the top.

"Joseph, be quiet!" Link whispered. "There are Gerudo over there!"

Link pointed into the darkness, where he saw two shadows of women, armored with a long rod with a shiny blade on top. "I'm glad they can't see us right now."

"What now?" asked Romani.

"Can you shoot them with an arrow?" suggested Joseph.

"Romani can but there's too much risk to miss them. I need a better spot" she explained. "Romani will try it over here."

She pointed at an edge, where the roof made a sharp bend to the left. Romani and Link crouched on top of the roof carefully to this spot – but Joseph stayed where he is. He feared that he could slip. The rain got stronger and made the roof even slippier. "Joseph, come!" Link waved.

Joseph didn't want to lose time and made one step after another – but one step ended in a big mistake.

He slid down the brown iron tile and crashed with his back onto the hard, wet ground. With massive backache and pain in his head he groaned full of pain and the only thing he could see were stars – and two shadows flitting away from the roof's edge. As much as he tried, he couldn't stand up until he felt that something grabbed his neck.

"Well, well, well! Look who fell down the sky!" a female voice said. Joseph turned around and saw a woman, veiling her mouth and nose with a purple piece of cloth. She pulled him up until he could stand stable on his weak legs again. Another woman stood next to her and already touched Joseph's throat with her blade – but his raised hands signalized her that Joseph surrenders.

"Looks like the night will still yet get interesting!" the second woman said.

"Who are you!?" the first woman shouted – but filled with fear did Joseph not reply. "Should we kill that intruder directly or should we report to Aveil?"

"Hey, wait a second!" the second woman replied. "He looks like a man, doesn't he? You know, maybe we could … use him!" she slightly laughed.

"Now after you mentioned it" the first woman came closer. "He looks kinda good. Let's bring him to Aveil!"

The women put the fear of god into Joseph. What will they do with him now? Why did he have to slip? Now, of all times! He trembled even harder after both Gerudo soldiers looked with mischievous eyes into his frightened eyes.


	6. Dinner among Enemies

_**Notes from the Author: **Hello my dear readers! I am back again and this time I can finally focus on writing like I did earlier again. I passed the theoretical test in my driving school and I'm one step closer to my driving license! :)_

_Anyways, there's one important thing I have to ask you: _

_Would you prefer regular updates with less content (about 3k-5k words two times per week = the way I've updated before the overhaul) or  
__would you prefer more content (about 7k-10k words once per week = the way I did in the first few chapters after I decided to overhaul)? Personally I don't care, now after I finally have time to write again. Tell me by reviewing or by a private message. _

_Have fun while reading and have a nice day! :)  
Sincerely, KorneliusPrisma_

**{{{Chapter 6 – Dinner among Enemies }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Gerudo Fortress (Outside) – Late Evening

* * *

"Young man, are you a Clocktowner?" asked the first Gerudo soldier while endangering Joseph's neck with her shiny blade and while the second soldier held and searched Joseph's backpack. With his hands raised and two attentive and armed Gerudo slowly following him they slowly went up the metallic and rusty stairs to Aveil's command room.

"N-No. I'm not!" he quickly replied.

"Don't lie!" the first soldier shouted. "Where else would you come from? You look exactly like Clock-Town's men."

"Take of your hat! I want to see your head" ordered the second soldier and Joseph quickly took off Kafei's olive-green cap, revealing his brown and ruffled hair and his ears again. "Yes, you're definitely a Clocktowner. A quite beautiful one though ..."

"I d-don't think you would understand it."

"Understand what?" the first soldier asked.

"Where I come from" he responded.

"What's not understandable?" she asked. "The only answer can be north, south, west or east."

"Uh, is there a word for skyward too?" Joseph humbly asked.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Did it hurt when you fell down the sky?"

"The headache lasted for days" he responded. Through all the fear he had to hold back a laugh this time. "I'm not an angel though ..."

"A what?" the first soldier asked. "Okay enough. You can be glad that you tell your lies to us and not to Aveil. She'll show no mercy to liars like you!"

Joseph rolled his eyes but fear overcame him again when they arrived at the iron door, where a horned, gray skull with two gray sabers beneath it was painted onto a blood-red background. The soldiers forced him to slowly open the door, where a bitter and metallic scent mixed with the tart but diluted smell of dead fish let him cringe in disgust for a second.

"Move your beautiful butt to our leader!" the second soldier demanded from behind. Joseph moved slowly, step by step, forward and his eyes scanned the room for a possible route of escape … but in the room, which floor, which walls and which ceiling is entirely made of iron plates, he could only see a large aquarium filled with giant and sharp-teethed clams to the left and dark wooden tables and chairs to the right, where a group of white-dressed and short haired Gerudo looked at a map rolled out onto the table. But the most frightening thing were the seven long and bloody spears raising upwards behind the red chair, which looked like a throne – and another horned gray skull painted on red adorned the wall behind the throne.

The second soldier pressed her blade onto Joseph's back, forcing him to move faster and into her desired direction. All three moved towards the group of Gerudo, who gazed at the map and loudly discussed something only Joseph didn't understand.

"Mistress," the first soldier humbly began. "We've found an intruder for you. He said he _fell down the sky_."

Another Gerudo, who veiled her soft, tanned skin beneath wide red pants and a tight red top, adorned by plenty of shiny jewels which were embedded into silver, turned around to face this inattentive angelic intruder. Her long ponytail with hair as red as blood whirled around and when she showed her face, Joseph's heart began to beat loudly again. Her glowing yellow eyes stared directly into Joseph's helpless soul and her stony mien even let her followers shiver to their bones. If Joseph only knew that it was Aveil, the feared murderer of the seas, who stood in front of him.

"We await further orders, mistress" the first soldier said.

"I suggest that we keep him, m-mistress" the second soldier humbly suggested.

But Aveil didn't answer. With curious eyes and a slightly opened mouth she circled Joseph two times. When she stood in front of him again and she recognized his nervousness, she grinned. She grinned and looked deep into Joseph's eyes.

"Dismissed" was the only word that came out of her lips. The soldiers stood steady and stomped their rods into the ground right before they left the room slightly disappointed.

Aveil came two steps closer to Joseph, put her hands onto his shoulders and pulled him to herself – hugging him strongly.

His eyes went wide in surprise and his head ached with confusion once again – particularly after she rested her head onto his shoulder and hugging him even stronger. Her head radiated warmth onto Joseph's cold and wet cheek and a scent of cinnamon, metal and a pinch of sweat originated from the Gerudo leader.

"Tell me your name" whispered Aveil into Joseph's ear and he fearfully whispered back "I'm J-Joseph".

She moved away again but still hugged Joseph like she would have known him for several years. With a smile she looked deep into Joseph's eyes, pointed towards the red throne and said: "Joseph, sit down over here in the meanwhile. I'll come after I … we finished some plans."

Joseph carefully nodded and slowly moved to the, quite comfortable, throne, where he'd waited for several minutes in which he wondered what just happened. He expected that Aveil kills him immediately. Her eyes drilled into his soul and he could see death itself within them. But when Joseph sat in the throne there was one particular question that popped into his mind: _"Did I live the life I wanted before I die?" _

Several minutes of thinking passed by and Joseph shook his head. _"No, Joseph. Just no. Don't think like this. There's always a way out. Always! You'll rescue Cremia, you'll return with her to the ranch and you will also find your way back to Innsbruck! And you have Link and Romani on your side as well!"_ he thought and a shimmer of hope returned to him. Joseph searched the room for possible ways to escape. The only exit in this room was guarded by two Gerudo guardians each to the left and the right. Many tall, metallic barrels stood to the left and to the right snapped the clams inside their aquarium towards Joseph's direction – which means not only Gerudo desired for him.

The ceiling was made of metal plated but also supported by some wooden beams. But there was a small window to the left wall's top. Unfortunately this window was barred, so there's no-

"_Huh? What was that?"_ asked Joseph himself after he saw a shadow quickly moving from left to right in the window. Could it be that Ro-

"Joseph," Aveil said, standing next to him. He gasped in scare and he could feel his heart in his throat. "Are you hungry?"

He could only stare into her unnatural-acting yellow eyes, even though she smiled. "You look hungry and I'll eat soon, so come on. According to the guards we'll have roast beef, mushroom- and berry sauce with ingredients from Woodfall to fill our grumbling bellies today. We can also drink a Fluggsel goblets tonight."

She took Joseph's right hand and led him together with four guards and seven Gerudo officers (the ones dressed in white and with short hair) towards the exit, where he glimpsed up to the window again. But Romani and Link were nowhere to be seen. Now outside again, where an intense shower of rain soaked Aveil, Joseph and everyone following them, they went to another iron door in the fortress' western side.

Aveil opened the big iron double door and they stood inside a broad room, also consisting of slightly rusty iron plates. Four big lanterns lit the half-moon shaped dark-wooden table along with its plenty of same colored chairs around. On the table stood large plates with brown roast beefs covered by a blue sauce, adored with helix-formed mushrooms, lot of silver cutlery and plenty of beautifully decorated glasses, filled with water, stood next to each plate. Several Gerudo pirates already gorged the food that filled the, still dark, room with a hefty but also slightly sweet aroma … but they stopped bolting after they saw Joseph and Aveil coming to the table.

Every one of the Gerudo, the hungry officers and the guarding soldiers stood up after they saw their so called mistress coming to the table. Aveil looked at her followers and they, on the other side, gazed at Joseph – some of them with indignant, some of them with curious and some of them with eager miens and most of them whispered to each other.

"Sit down" ordered Aveil and everyone returned to their meal, which some ate with cutlery but most with their bare fingers. They devoured their supper like Cremia once did after she forgot her rupee-bag at home and couldn't afford a meal in Clock-Town – yet their eyes couldn't focus on anything else than Joseph.

"Bring a chair for our guest. He's dinning with us today" Aveil commanded her guards and they brought Joseph a chair as well. He sat down next to Aveil's left. "And don't forget a meal for him."

The Gerudo guardian brought Joseph one of the roast beefs with berry and mushroom sauce – way to large to be eaten completely, even though his stomach rumbled loudly.

"I hope you'll like it" Aveil commented with a smile before she turned to five officers that sat opposite to her. Joseph in the meanwhile began to eat and with every bite he took he desired more and more of this delicacy. The spicy aroma of the tender meat got rounded by the mild and sweet aroma of the blueberry sauce and the mysterious, helix-formed yellow mushrooms added a slightly bittersweet note to the rest. _"Damn, that feels good. But Cremia still cooks better though"_ thought Joseph.

But with every bite he made he felt more and more unhappy about this decent meal.

He thought about Cremia – how much she must hunger and how much she must desire for a few drops of dirty water in the dark jail cell, where she surely cried out her soul if she isn't already dead. And what about Link and Romani? Both are children, who had to give their best and who had to fear to be speared every second – and Joseph was just sitting next to his enemies and ate dinner with them.

"My feared commanders," began Aveil to speak to the five sitting in front of her. "The day after tomorrow we'll finally start my long awaited operation 'night of the crystal'. Does everybody know what to do?"  
Joseph carefully listened. Was she talking about Link? But why would she need five commanders and all of her military units to catch and kill a young boy like Link? Why is he declared as such a big threat to the Gerudo? Link said he "lend" the Hookshot … but why was it such valuable to Aveil and her followers?

"Yes mistress," replied the first officer. "Their soldiers will have no chance against us. I trained my people just for combat against them. We studied their techniques for years and our advanced weaponry will drill through their meat until it scratches their bones."

Aveil nodded and turned to the second officer. "You sure you can catch the rest of the scum with your spore bombs and frog arrows?" she asked.

"I am absolutely sure that it works, mistress – though I would still prefer that we kill them directly" responded the second officer.

"You can kill the younger children if that satisfies you but the rest belongs to me."

"Affirmative, mistress."

"Good" said Aveil and turned her eyes to the third officer. "Have you prepared the boats?"

"I did, mistress. Every scum leaving the domain will be killed immediately."

"What about Manizieu? Can you reach it right after you conquered the domain? I mean _before_ their major evacuates the town!"

"The boats got tested several times and even the tallest sails couldn't overtake its speed. We won't disappoint you!"

Aveil nodded again and turned her head to the fourth one of her commanders. "Mistress," she began."All valuables and particularly **it** will soon belong to you!"

"Do not forget that **it** has more valuable than anything else thrown together. Your focus stays on **it**! Everything else is optional."

"Affirmative!"

The fifth one of Aveil's officers didn't say anything at all – both only made eye contact and nodded. Joseph tried to figure out what she could have planned but the Gerudo adroitly avoided direct information. One thing seemed to be sure: They weren't talking about Link. A whole army just against a young boy sounded unrealistic to Joseph. Obviously did they talk about something else – something that reminded Joseph for some unknown reason of his last two history lessons in school.

Aveil turned to one of her guards and loudly spoke: "The time for the Fluggsel goblets has come!"  
The soldier brought one silver goblet for Aveil, one for each officer and one for Joseph as well. Another soldier opened a big container, made out of ceramic and to Joseph's surprise was it signed with the logo of Romani Ranch. But into each goblet she didn't pour fresh ranch milk or the awesome Chateau Romani. Instead she poured a viscous dark red and slightly steaming liquid into each goblet. The Gerudo grabbed their warm goblets and, to act natural, so did Joseph as well.

He smelled at the liquid but ... nothing. Except for a weak, nearly unrecognizable sour and sweet aroma could Joseph's nose not detect any other tastes out of it. It was thick and red like strawberry sauce. Even though it steamed slightly was the mysterious liquid warm like tea or coffee should be – neither too hot, nor too cold. "May we be victorious!" spoke Aveil loud and clearly, which her officers and her soldiers replied to with a loud: "For Aveil!", followed by stomps of the soldier's rods. Joseph took, like the rest, a sip of the red liquid and now he could clearly taste – and particularly feel – what this liquid was. Metallic, bitter, sour but also slightly sweet. It tasted like a cooked mixture of blood and mulled wine but with way less sweetness – and the burning feel of alcohol on Joseph's tongue was also completely missing.

He gasped and caught and he nearly knocked down his goblet when he grabbed his neck. Did they poison him? His throat, his tongue, his stomach and particularly his head tingled like someone would sting him with a thousand of tiny needles. Something that felt like a gentle and warm rain in August showered through Joseph's left brain half, every color he saw shined brighter and glowed more intense than before and his heart beat nearly as fast as the electronic music that Joseph used to listen to.

"What … did I … drink!?" Joseph asked Aveil addled and flustered. She grabbed his chin gently so that he could look deep into her eyes. Aveil smiled and explained: "That's the cooked blood of a Fluggsel – a rare delicacy that we and some other Terminans desire for. I doubt you've ever seen a Fluggsel in your life before. Those winged beauties are really hard to catch in their tall forests."

Joseph grabbed the table's edge and Aveil's left shoulder to compensate his weak legs and his weakened sense for balance and gravity. He felt sick, he felt weak and he felt helpless … but for some reason he also felt satisfied, his mind was released of every worry and for the first time he didn't fear Aveil when he looked into her eyes. After a couple of minutes and several deep breaths the weakness disappeared and after Joseph and the rest finished their meals he also drank the rest of the Fluggsel blood – causing stronger weakness and stronger satisfaction afterwards. Right after the meal he dazedly asked for a place to sleep and, supported by his arm around Aveil's shoulders, she guided him to the place where he shall sleep the upcoming, heated night.

* * *

**Part II  
**Gerudo Fortress (Bedroom) – Night

* * *

"Wow, so beautiful" said Joseph and pointed with his index finger towards the huge bed, covered by a red blanket and with plenty of soft red pillows. "And you really want me to sleep in there?"

Painted over the bed was the same horned gray skull with its two gray sabers painted onto a red background. Iron plates, this time without any rust, supported the ground, the walls and the ceiling again. Weak rays of moonlight shined through a tiny window to the left, where the shower of rain lashed against the glass. To support the weak moonlight lit three lanterns with their weak, flickering and orange light against the iron plates – weak enough to give the room a gloomy atmosphere but bright enough to not stumble over the bed.

"Of course, Joseph" Aveil said with a grin.

"Okay then" replied Joseph and took off his clothes without even caring about Aveil, who still stood behind him. He threw his brown coat, his blue pullover, his black boots, his white socks and his blue jeans next to the bed, now wearing nothing else than his gray cotton underpants and his black t-shirt with the word "Survival" printed onto it.

He let himself fall onto the cool bed, covered himself with the only smooth red blanket and took a deep breath while hugging another pillar. After carpets and his unbearable hard bed in the ranch's bedroom, Joseph felt like he was carried by the softest clouds floating in the sky. After a minute he nearly fell asleep but he cringed when the sound of a door-lock loudly resounded through the room. He opened his eyes again and looked around. Aveil stood in front of the door and held a key in her right hand – while grinning at Joseph. Her grin and her eyes looked, through the flickering of the gloomy light as creepy as he had never seen it before.

"A-Aveil?" Joseph carefully asked with fear weakened by the Fluggsel blood. "Why did you lock the room?"

"I always lock my room before I go to sleep. Just to be … save" replied Aveil coolly.

"Ah, yeah I understand. I mean you're the leader and you … wait a minute. _Your_ room?" Joseph asked, feeling a short shock of nervousness that got dulled by the power of Fluggsel blood again.

"Yes, my room" she replied while slowly taking off her weapons, her jewelry and her red clothes until she wore nothing else than another black top and a black knicker, revealing plenty of her soft, tanned but also slightly scarred skin.

Joseph gulped. _"I'm so fucked. I'm so dead. I'm so fucking dead ..."_ he thought as Aveil came closer and closer. She sat next to Joseph, grabbed his blanket and crawled into the bed as well, cuddling herself skin to skin to Joseph. She lay on her stomach and after a couple of silent minutes she cuddled herself closer and closer to Joseph, who lay on his back, until her body lay half upon him.

She rested her head onto his shoulder and put her right leg between Joseph's legs while stroking his neck with her right hand.

Joseph's heart tried every minute to beat fast and loudly – but the effect of the blood goblet was still calming him, reducing Joseph's inhibition and shyness around beautiful women a lot. Even though this was an experience he'd never felt before was he calm like never before. His mind always rumbled in such cases but this time the engineer's mind had no effect upon his body that would usually be adjusted to escape within milliseconds. The coolness of the blanket and the bed itself quickly got heated up by both, Aveil and Joseph.

"Joseph," whispered Aveil into his ear with her hot breath. "Tell me, do you enjoy being with me?"

Joseph hesitated and his eyes opened up widely. The only thing he could think of was _"Now shit just really got serious! Be prepared for Red Alert!" _but his body didn't react and after a couple of seconds he calmly replied with "Yes, I do. You're a wonderful woman … and I'm sorry but I don't even know your name!"

"Aveil is my name. Remember it – you will need it later" she whispered slowly into his ear – a silent laugh followed by her. "I am curious, Joseph. You've never had a girlfriend before, did you? Tell me."

Joseph shook his head. So was Aveil already considering herself to be Joseph's girlfriend?

"I don't understand this" she replied coolly while staring into his eyes. She began to stroke his cheek and both of their foreheads touched each other – and their noses as well. "You are without a doubt one of the most beautiful man I have ever seen, Joseph."

"Nah, I doubt that" he replied without any of his usual hesitation. "I don't have-"

"Sssh! Listen, Joseph. You're not like the other men! You look young and fresh, your body is heating my skin and not the other way round and your ears ... they're so round and they look so delicious!"

"But please don't eat them. Otherwise I can't hear shit!"

Aveil laughed and smiled. Joseph smiled as well and he could feel how her left hand went beneath his head pillar, where she clenched it into a fist. Joseph put his hands onto Aveil's upper and lower back and stroked slightly up and down. Her eyes closed and so did Joseph's. Her head came closer and closer and …

"Joseph," she whispered. Joseph still had his eyes closed but he could clearly feel something cold touching his throat. "You aren't like other men, are you?"

He opened his eyes again and saw that her widely opened eyes stared directly into his soul … with a stern face. When looking down he could see the origin of the coldness – a dagger that she'd pressed onto his throat. Usually Joseph would be completely overthrown with fear – but the power of the Fluggsel blood let him feel only slightly nervous – like the engineer would be before a math test.

"I know why you're here, Joseph" she spoke calmly but still stern. "You're here to get back your old girlfriend. That … peasant girl named Cream or Creamia or whatever her name was."

"Cremia is her name" responded Joseph, still without an increase of fear. "She's not my girlfriend. I mean she's cute and nice and all … and one heck of a beauty! But I don't know if she would like me back too. Do you know that too?"

Aveil looked confusedly at Joseph. "I guess not" he commented with a smile. "I'm not even sure if _you_ like me or if you want to kill me. You're dangerous but you're cute as well – and you're sexy!"

Aveil smiled and sat on Joseph's stomach now. She threw her dagger against the wall, where it then stuck between two iron plates. She grabbed Joseph's head and moved her head quickly to his until their heated lips finally touched. Her mouth opened and her tongue requested entrance into Joseph's mouth, which he had granted her without any hesitation. While their tongues danced together in a dialogue of cultural and biological exchange Joseph moved his hands to Aveil's back, pulling her to himself until she lay upon him. Aveil also pressed herself stronger onto Joseph and their kisses got more and more furious with every minute passing by.

Joseph had never kissed before but Aveil was surprised how well the young man from this remote place he called Europe could kiss. Maybe it was due to his curiosity and the tips his friends gave him whenever they kissed their girl- or boyfriends – and some information he'd gathered from the Internet just in case he would ever come into a situation where he has to kiss. _"It's on the Internet, so it must be true"_ he thought.

Aveil's kisses felt like a good meal cooked by Cremia after a long and hard day of physical work. Or, according to Joseph's second description, like the first sip of an energy drink after writing an English test in the early morning, a test in electrical facilities at noon and a two hour long test in automation engineering in the last two hours. While wildly kissing the untamed woman he thought about Aveil. She is rich, she is indescribable attractive and powerful like a queen … what more can a man wish from a woman that declared herself as his girlfriend?

After one and a half hour of intense kissing she took off his shirt, threw it to his other clothes and stroked over his heated up body. With smooth moans Aveil strongly grabbed Joseph's upper arms and turned around, so that he lay upon her. She and Joseph both breathed heavily and Aveil pulled him to herself, where she'd whispered: "Touch me, Joseph. Touch me where ever you desire" into his ear. But when Joseph began to stroke over her glowing body his kissing slowed down and a feeling of nervousness slowly returned into his mind. Not because he had the opportunity to become the happiest man in this night but some of his old thoughts returned. Thoughts that he already had at the Gerudo dinner. Was the effect of the blood goblet slowly disappearing?

He stopped kissing her and slowly moved his head away. As he looked into the slightly confused eyes of Aveil – he saw Cremia. It was not the imagination to have Cremia beneath him that made him nervous – but her blushed, disappointed and sad eyes alone told volumes – not to mention the scars Joseph imagined in her freckled face. Joseph closed his eyes and right after Cremia disappeared in front of him he could see Romani and Link, who ran away wounded and bleeding from Gerudo soldiers. Right after he saw the angry, disappointed but also sad faces of Anju and Kafei, staring directly into his soul. What has he done? He disappointed all of his friends. Instead of freeing them, instead of helping them he'd eaten with his enemies and kissed the person, who was the main reason why Link, Romani and Joseph had to dare such a dangerous mission for Cremia.

In the meanwhile Cremia probably shivered in her cold cell while searching the dust for lost breadcrumbs and while drinking the drops of water slowly condensating on the stone walls.

In the meanwhile Romani and Link both probably give their best to free Cremia _and_ Joseph, without sleep and without any other option than hiding and sneaking through the large fortress.

"Is everything alright, Joseph?" asked Aveil, still breathing heavily and dragging his mind back into reality.

"I … I can't do this ..." replied Joseph and lay down next to her. He was neither tired, nor listless. But his conscience protested to go any further with Aveil. "I am sorry ..."

"Is there a particular reason why you can't?" asked Aveil while clenching her fists beneath the blanket and while glancing at the dagger that still stuck in the wall. But Joseph didn't reply. "Okay, fine. I respect your shyness … but you know that there's no reason to be shy. Take what you want, take what you can get and never return anything."

Joseph and Aveil returned to their cuddling position and after an hour of thinking fell Aveil asleep in Joseph's arms … but the brave man, who dared to deny the dangerous beauty, was still awaken. It was amazing, yet frightening, to Joseph how well some woman can seduce man.


	7. Aveil's Revenge

**{{{ Chapter 7 – Aveil's Revenge }}}**

* * *

**Part I**  
Pirate-Fortress (Aveil's Bedroom) – Noon

* * *

As frightening as Aveil's ability to seduce men, as comfortable was Joseph's sleep in this warmed night – never had he slept better since his arrival in Termina. His wood-hard bed at Romani Ranch, together with its tiny pillar and its airy and rough blanket, was nothing compared to sleep arm in arm with one of Termina's mightiest women on a bed as soft as cotton candy. Besides did he neither had to deal with Cremia, who whispers sometimes while sleeping, nor with Romani's snortingly loud breathing.  
Only warm skin, only comfort and only silence until his mind slowly returned into reality, where silence instead of the redhead's noises dominated the room, where rust and salt instead of wood and barn aired his nose and where skeins of blood-red hair instead of sunbeams tickled his face.

The young man opened his eyes and saw Aveil's head resting on his chest. Her closed eyes, her calm breathing and the absence of faked smiles ensured Joseph that she was still in the mysterious land of dreams, where she probably already trained to torture young, blond boys.

A weak stain of light, shining through the rain-lashed window onto the wall, was the only source of light for the eerie bedroom since the lanterns had already extinguished. But the light was strong enough to see Aveil clear enough. For a couple of minutes had Joseph looked at her, where he carefully stroked over her heated skin and through her frizzy hair. He would clearly lie if he said he hasn't admired her – but he did with a bitter smack, which was simply too strong to be ignored.

His eyes would definitely have gazed for another couple of minutes if a dulled and jarring noise hadn't interrupted him. _"What the …?"_ whispered Joseph to himself when he tried to figure out what this noise was. Because of it did the room tremble and as soon as it came it also left. Joseph compared the noise to that of an airplane – but with a much higher pitch and a way faster appearance and disappearance.

"Oh, you're already awaken?" Aveil suddenly asked a few seconds after the trembling disappeared.

Joseph, who rested his hand beneath her black top, touching her naked back, opened his eyes widely and his feeling of nervousness quickly returned. The effect of the Fluggsel goblet had disappeared over night.

"I, uh, ..." he tried to reply but Aveil grabbed his neck and gently pulled his head to hers for a dry "good-morning"-kiss.

"Still shy I see" she replied with a grin. "I hope you slept well."

"I did. It was hot – I-I mean it was good. Refreshing! Uh, ..."

Aveil grinned again. "Glad to hear, Joseph. I slept excellent as well – and you're without a doubt the most comfortable man so far."

Joseph and Aveil, both half-naked, dressed and went through the iron door. In the lantern-lit corridor several Gerudo soldiers and two officers already awaited their mistress and her most recent boyfriend.

"Good morning, mistress" spoke the first one of two officers while she, Joseph and the rest followed Aveil along the corridor. "My women noticed a couple of things tonight."

"I do as well. Those things are too odd to ignore a report" added the second officer.

"What things?" replied Aveil authoritative.

"Some of my guards in the north-eastern fortress are missing. Three to be exact. None of the guards reported for sleep or toilet. Personally I-" explained the second officer, but got interrupted by the first one.

"Besides noticed Nainoumi, day-guard of the kitchen, and Muvona, day-guard of the archery, that some food reserves and arrows got stolen" she explained. "Sounds like betrayal to me, mistress."

Aveil nodded and turned to her second officer. "The north-eastern fortress you say? What about the jails?"

"Nothing. Everything's normal there" she replied. One of the Gerudo soldiers began to speak when Aveil nodded to her superior's answer: "Fitaura, eight night-guard of the eastern prison, said she has seen two shadows. But she assumes that it was just Obul and Seful, who patrolled as always."

"Awaiting further commands, mistress!" said the first officer loud and clearly. Suddenly Aveil stopped and so did her followers. Only Joseph went three steps further... until he realized that Aveil's eyes and later on her follower's eyes remained focused on him. Her frightening eyes and her spiteful smile were good reasons to feel worried. Did she suspect him for something he didn't do?

"Follow me" ordered Aveil plainly. "I know what to do."

She grabbed Joseph's hand and kept her eyes focused on him until the most recent couple and their eleven minions arrived in her command room. She dragged him to her red throne, where she forced him to sit down next to her by pushing his shoulders down. The pressure onto his shoulders assured Joseph that his self-proclaimed girlfriend was serious.

"The time has come. Bring the damsel" she ordered her second officer, who turned around and told three of her soldiers off. Joseph's worries returned with its full strength. What shall he do now? How can he prevent the execution of the generous woman, who shared her modest little cottage with him, who – more or less – seemed to be the only one to believe his odd theory of being trapped in a virtual word and with whom he had laughed, worked and shared culture? An idea would definitely came through his mind in the minutes that passed by – but there was **it** again.

The dulled and jarring noise he'd already heard while sleeping with Aveil – and this time it appeared and disappeared way faster than before. Joseph looked around. The noise was loud enough to distract a couple of Gerudo soldiers. They looked up the ceiling and whispered to each other. Even Aveil recognized it and her yellow-glowing eyes slowly wandered around.

"There, mistress" said one of two gasping soldiers, who both dragged an orange-haired, famishing and sobbing woman behind them. Her hair was rumpled, her white blouse and her pale skin were dirty and dusty and her eyes were as blushed as the skin beneath them – without a doubt was it Cremia, who has nearly drowned in sorrow for days.

Joseph slowly clenched his fists and after he saw into Cremia's suffering eyes he would have loved nothing better than to beat the living daylights out of Aveil – but luckily for her was he outnumbered – and her sabers looked way too sharp for him – and her brainless minions don't question her orders as well.

"J-Jo-Joseph ..." whispered Cremia before her sobbing turned into crying. "Y-You shouldn't have come … I'm not w-worth the effort …"

Aveil stood up and slowly walked towards Cremia, who tried to stand up in the meanwhile.

"Tell me peasant," began the rich and powerful Gerudo leader, who stood in front of the unwashed cowgirl that was a head shorter than her. "Can you suffer well?"

But Cremia didn't answer her question. She went one step backwards – where two soldiers pressed their spears against her back. Aveil clenched her fist and turned around to Joseph, whom she'd asked: "Joseph, tell me. Can she suffer well?"

"Can't you see that she already suffers?" he cheekily responded – pumped up by his raising wrath. Aveil came closer and stroked his neck while she smiled and stared deep into his eyes. After a quick kiss onto his cheek she whispered "She suffers – but not enough" into his ear.

Two of her soldiers quickly grabbed Joseph's arm and held him strongly – just to be sure he won't try stupid things. Stupid things like his few attempts to shake off their strong grasps.

Aveil nodded to the guards standing behind Cremia as well – and they grabbed her upper arms with the same strength.

Aveil's smile turned into a grin while she went step by step towards Cremia again. Both redheads looked deep into each others eyes – Aveil saw the eyes of her newest toy, Cremia the eyes of the Grim Reaper's wife.

The pirate leader grabbed Cremia's jaw and calmly whispered: "Suffer, you stinking muck - and don't you dare to resist!"

After her introducing words she hauled off and slapped Cremia so powerful, an echo resounded through the whole room – twice. But the slap was just the beginning. Right after Cremia stabilized herself halfway from the attack Aveil quickly punched her into her stomach four times – strong enough to let her scream but weak enough to let her grasp for breath without lethally crushing her inner organs.

"Release her" ordered Aveil and the soldiers let Cremia fall to the ground. The dizziness coming from Aveil's slap and the intense pain in her stomach forced her to huddle at the ground. But Aveil's ripped arm couldn't stop Cremia's rising anger. In front of her friend Joseph she didn't want him to show weakness – not again! The Gorman Brothers went away without a scratch but Cremia didn't want to surrender without a fight – not this time!

She focused all her anger and tried to stand up – with success. Cremia snorted and hauled off to give Aveil a well deserved punch straight into her grinning face. But Aveil dodged quickly and Cremia felt the pure power of Aveil's fast reflexes. In the same second, while she was moving forwards due to the punch's force, grabbed Aveil Cremia's long hair and dragged her back to the rusty ground, followed by another punch straight into Cremia's beautiful face.

Some people say that mental pain is the most powerful one – and they're right with this assertion. But the pain Aveil's fist had caused didn't only let Cremia bleed strongly out of her nose. Even covering her face with her hands couldn't abate the pain. It hurt so much that she nearly screamed her soul out of her body. Joseph couldn't look at the beating and to hear the screams of the innocent rancher let him feel pure hatred and wrath against his self-proclaimed girlfriend. He'd like to stand up and join Cremia in fighting against her – but he was reasonable enough to hold himself back instead of facing a death without a respawn.

Did Cremia really deserve all this pain? First she was attacked and cut by the Gorman Brothers and now she was beaten by a rapacious murderer. What a cruel world Termina was compared to Joseph's small hometown. Aveil already hauled off for a strong kick at the spot, where she's already punched her four times. Cremia screamed so loudly, some of the soldiers had to cover their ears like she covered the spot with her hands for protection. But this was a grand mistake. Her face was unprotected, which allowed Aveil to kick her bloody face with even more power.

Little correction: **T****hat** was the most painful hit of all. Cremia's intense screams let every surface vibrate like a little earthquake and Joseph's eyes watered. He must help! He simply **must**! Otherwise Cremia will choke by her own blood or die by other serious injuries. But he was without an idea. No chance to help her, no possible movement because the guardians still held him, no possible situation to come out of this dreadful situation. Where is the reset button or the hotkey for quick load when he needed it the most?

"Sister! Nooooo!" screamed another voice loudly coming from the barrels near the command room's entrance. Aveil and everyone else turned to the voice's origin just to see a person, who looked like a younger version of Cremia. A girl that shot her arrows faster than the Gerudo could realize. Luckily for Aveil her reflexes were fast enough to dodge the two arrows that nearly drilled through her brain. The young archer called Romani shot three arrows at the soldiers quickly marching towards her and every time she hit them right between the eyes. Another four Gerudo guardians came from Romani's left, ready to kill the young archer that even let Aveil feel surprised for a second.

"Raaah! Back off!" screamed another voice and another young person surprised the four guardians with a quick attack coming from behind the barrels. The blonde boy with green tunic and green pointy hat swung his sharp sword faster than the Gerudo could counter with their spears. He performed a spin attack that hit all of the guardian's legs – causing them to fall down the ground and crouch backwards to escape their own possible death. But Aveil, still surprised by the quick attack, smiled instead of feeling threatened. He had arrived! Link had finally arrived!

He ran to Romani and both fought against another three soldiers coming from their right.  
Romani hit another one of them right into her head while Link crushed their spears and cut their stomachs with his sword.  
The soldier's attacks were good for Aveil. While Link and Romani fought against them, she used the time to grab Cremia's hair and force her to stand once again. She quickly grabbed one of her sabers, moved behind Cremia's back and held her cold blade right in front of Cremia's throat.

"If you make another fast movement, she'll be dead faster than you can blink" threatened Aveil to Romani and Linkj.

Romani gulped and began to tremble – only Link tried to remain calm. Joseph's anger turned into a paralyze – he couldn't speak, he couldn't move and the situation shocked his, usually peace-searching, heart way so much. Cremia couldn't decide what was worse: Her own pain or the fact that Aveil could harm her little sister and her friends.

What can Romani and Link do to have the slightest chance to free Cremia and Joseph? How can they defeat Termina's most feared woman?

* * *

**Part II**  
Pirate-Fortress (Aveil's Command Room) – Early Evening

* * *

After Aveil's ultimate threat, everything became silent – except for Cremia's crying and the young fighter's fast breathing. Romani targeted her next arrow at Aveil's head with a trembling hand. But she couldn't shoot. What if she misses Aveil? What if she moved Cremia's into the line of fire?

But also Link had no chance to save the day. He stood next to Romani and also slightly trembled. One fast movement and Aveil would kill the innocent person that granted the young adventurer a new home. He and his sword couldn't do anything in this situation – and nor could his masks or his other equipment.

Joseph stood there paralyzedly and unable to act as well. He was never confronted with death before. Sure had he already killed plenty of people while living a thousand of lives but this time it wasn't a computer game – even though he still thought he was playing virtual reality though no person in his world could program such a realistic environment. Even if he couldn't believe it: It felt like the pure reality.

Cremia was helpless as well. The pain from the beating still caused her cries but the threats towards her little sister and the view of seeing her killing other people penetrated her mind even more. The cold blade that Aveil held against her neck wasn't calming either.

This was it? The lives of them in the hands of Aveil? She could have easily killed them. But she waited …

"Let your bow and arrows fall to the ground, young peasant! And you, greedy and thieving boy – let your sword fall!" ordered Aveil.

First both didn't react and gazed paralyzedly into Aveil's and Cremia's eyes. But as soon as Aveil moved her saber slightly left and right they immediately let their weapons fall. Romani also fell down to her knees and tears dropped down the ground.

"Sis … please … don't die!"

Aveil didn't kill Cremia with her saber-movement. She knew this movement will scare the souls out of her enemies. After they let their weapons fall, she ordered one of her soldiers to collect the weapons. After the weapons were collected, Aveil put out one dagger out of her left bag and gave it to the soldier that collected the weapons.

"Hold her. If she tries to escape, kill her. If they try to attack you, kill her. If I give you the signal, kill her" ordered Aveil to her and she handed Cremia's life into the hands of the soldier, who simply answered with: "Affirmative, mistress!"

Now Aveil had both hands free again and could do other things with them. She walked slowly to the kneeing and crying Romani and sat down in front of her. Romani noticed that Aveil grabbed her hair, but she didn't drag her around like she did with her sister before.

"You stink as much as the other peasant. Tell me your name!"

"… R-Ro … R-Romani is my name!" she humbly and nervously answered.

"Romani, huh? Are you and your sister owning Romani Ranch?"

"Y-Yes, we d-do."

"To be honest, your milk is good. But it would be a shame to live as a peasant. I see you have good archery skills, Romani. It needs years of training to kill or even harm a Gerudo soldier like you did, you know that?"

Romani didn't answer. Only fear overcame her after Aveil held her blade against Romani's throat.

"I could need someone like you in our team" suggested Aveil while grabbing Romani's chin, moving her head up just to look deep into her eyes.

"I … I can't … I d-don't want to! N-No, please! I can't … I-I …" Romani stuttered.

"Well, if you don't want to join me, then you and your friends are useless to me."

"P-Please … d-don't … don't kill sis!" she replied and also began to cry.

"Not? I thought of killing her first" explained Aveil, whispering into Romani's ears. "She suffers so well, you know?"

"No! Don't! I … I'll join you! P-Please don't … d-don't kill sister … or Blueberry … or my Grasshopper!"

The situation was getting even worse. Now Romani had no other option to become the same person as Aveil – a greedy thief and a sadistic murderer. Aveil's lips formed to a smile.

"Well then, Romani. First swear fidelity to me and to us, the Gerudo of western Termina!" Aveil ordered before she stood up and went back to her throne. "Follow me."

Romani, even though her nerves could barely handle the stress, stood up and went towards Aveil. Her cheeks were soaked by tears and she tried to suppress her weeping – and while Romani slowly followed Aveil there was **it** again. The quick and high-pitched noise. Joseph looked around quickly and he seemed to be the only one to recognize it well enough. What was this sound? Did flight MH370 of Malaysia-Airlines just magically appear above Termina's sky? Of course not. But an airplane was the only thing that Joseph could compare this sound to – for sure he was also the only one to know what an airplane is.

"Knee down" ordered Aveil as soon as Romani stood in front of her.

"Kiss my hand" was the next order and Romani did it.

"And now, Romani. Pledge loyalty to me" ordered Romani's new master.

"I … I will … I will do w-whatever you want … m-master!" stuttered Romani and Aveil grinned sardonically.

This view was even more painful for Cremia. Losing her own sister to this cruel woman by blackmailing her with the death of her friends. What's even worse was the fact that Romani had her birthday not so long ago, where she'd turned twelve. She was way too young to withstand such a big amount of torture. But Aveil didn't care about age. The only thing that counted was to fulfill her own desires.

"Very well, Romani. Now listen carefully as you shall hear my first order" began Aveil while holding Romani's right shoulder, where she guided her to Link. Aveil took Romani's bow and one arrow and returned it to Romani.  
First Romani looked at her bow with confusion – but she soon realized what Aveil's desire was. She fought against her own tears and the thoughts of what will happen soon.

"This cheeky boy over here is a cruel and brutal thief. He stole from me and I want the thing he has stolen back! Target your bow at his head and order him to give me the Hookshot back. If he doesn't do what you order, then kill him!"

Romani began to tremble again and she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Now Link's life was in the hands of Romani. She knew that if she didn't follow Aveil's orders her sister will die faster than she could blink. She had no other choice to target her bow and her only arrow between Link's eyes.

Romani had the hardest decision any young girl could make – the death of her own sister or the death of her best friend. After a couple of seconds Aveil stared slightly angry into her eyes – so she had no time to hesitate.

"G-Grasshopper" she began. "Please … please give it b-back to her! I d-don't want to …"

Link didn't say anything and simply nodded with a shocked face. He slowly grabbed into his backpack and put out his Hookshot, which he then handed over to Romani. Aveil immediately grabbed it out of Romani's sweaty hands. She had her treasure back. Maybe, so Romani, Link, Joseph and Cremia strongly hoped, she'll release them from their possible execution.

"Good work, Romani" she nodded to her before she looked to Link. "But that's not everything. Where are the five thousand rupees?"

"What!? B-But I … I don't have such an amount of money!" Link nervously replied. "Y-You've never said anything about five thousand rupees!"

"Well, if that's the case …" replied Aveil. She turned to Romani and said: "If he is too stupid to give me what I want, then his life isn't worth anything. Kill him, Romani."

Right, that's it! Aveil just ordered Romani to kill her best friend. Romani cried loudly, shook her head and said: "P-Please no … I … I can't do that! He's my friend!"

Aveil turned to Cremia and the soldier holding the dagger in front of her throat and raised her hand upwards. But before she moved it down, which would have been the signal to kill Cremia, she looked deep into Romani's eyes again.

"P-Please, no! I … I'll do what you w-want, A-Aveil!"

Romani targeted her bow at Link's head and trembled strongly while crying loudly. After a few seconds, Romani had no other choice. Either her sister or her Grasshopper had to die. No one in this room had been mentally tortured as much as Romani before. She had no other option to follow Aveil's orders. So she closed her eyes, took a deep breath … and released the arrow.

Was this her final decision? Did Romani kill Link with her own weapon? She opened her wet eyes again – but Link still stood steady. Romani had missed. One of Termina's best archers missed the target that stood idle and three meters in front of her.  
She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill her best friend, her Grasshopper.

"I am disappointed, Romani" said Aveil. "You deserve punishment you for disappointing your supreme leader".

Aveil went to one of her shelves and put out a whip with twelve tails. Maybe some powerful whips will teach this stupid child to obey orders of people that stand above her.

"Twenty strokes for your failure will be enough to teach you respect!" Aveil shouted at Romani, held her whip in the air and hit Romani with her twelve-tailed whip. The pain caused Romani to scream nearly as loud as Cremia did. Stroke number eleven, stroke number twelve, stroke number thirteen – with each stroke screamed Romani louder and louder and not even her, relatively thick, brown coat could weaken the whippings – not to mention how much the naked skin of Romani's face and her hands bled more and more with every strike she received.

After the last stroke moved Aveil backwards, took another arrow and threw it at Romani, who could barely stand up again. Cremia compressed her eyes and she was already near to vomiting. Link and Joseph still were paralyzed.

"Stand up and hit this time, you useless peasant! I'll count down from ten to zero and if I say zero or if you miss this time, I'll kill not only your sister but also Joseph and you!" Aveil aggressively shouted.

In the meanwhile the ground shook slightly for a couple of seconds … and several times in a row. Also **it** has returned – the highly-pitched sound that appeared and disappeared way faster and way more often this time. Now everyone, except for Aveil, noticed the odd sounds and several earthquakes – particularly after they noticed that a weak thunder followed every earthquake.

Romani tried to stand up again and every movement was painful as the hell itself. She tried and tried to stand up and managed to stand on her own feet for a couple of seconds, but the mental strain was simply too much for Romani. She collapsed and hit the ground hard. But Aveil, whose veins were flooded with rage, began to count – even though Romani didn't move anymore.

"Ten … nine … eight … sev-"

"Mistress!" suddenly an officer, who ran and gasped into the room, shouted. "We have to evacuate! They're everywhere! We can't fight them!"

Aveil and everyone else looked at the hysterical officer – and particularly at the flashes originating from the open entrance door. What was she talking about? Who is everywhere? And why is it thundering so loudly?


	8. Duel of the Fates

**{{{ Chapter 8: Duel of the Fates }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Pirate-Fortress (Aveil's Command Room) – Dusk

* * *

"What's happening outside?!" asked Aveil her hysterical officer. But the stairs and stress left her breathless. She couldn't decide what's worse: The things that happened outside or the punishment she'll definitely get for interrupting Aveil.

"I-I don't know … *gasp* … what those things are, but … *gasp* … they're everywhere!" she replied before taking a couple of deep breaths. "Our scouts ... *gasp* ... reported we're not their main target – they're all over Termina! We try to fight them but every arrow repelled. They use weapons I don't understa–"

"All shall flee into the northern catacombs! They won't drill through the Iron-Mountains" ordered Aveil. Her officer nodded and for a couple of seconds returned hope to all Gerudo within the command room.

The same sound, which Joseph had heard a couple of times before, could now be heard very well all over the fortress. The exterior sounded a bit like the videos about World War One he'd seen in his last history lessons – except for the highly pitched noises and the sounds of electric sparks. But how could that be?

While the officer warned Aveil, Link used the time to recover from the shock and the paralyze. Without any second of hesitation he ran towards his sword, which lay on a table near Aveil's throne. She noticed him running and her blood pressure raised astronomically. Did the thieving boy really dare to escape once again? _"No, not this time, you cheeky creature!"_ she thought. No matter how much an unknown force threatened the Gerudo, no matter how much of her own people die, Aveil's only desire was to see the young boy, who deprived her of honor, dead.

"Not today! You abominable creature won't come away again! I'll kill you with my own hands – here and now!" shouted Aveil and drew her second saber. She ran as fast as as the wind towards Link, whose sword was already within his reach. He quickly grabbed it, turned around and blocked Aveil's fast and powerful double saber strike. Two seconds too late and Link's head would have already been cut off from his body.

Meanwhile, after the officer's warning, the high-pitched sounds, the weaker earthquakes and the explosions, the guardians that held Cremia and Joseph became nervous. Should they follow the order to hold the hostages or shall they follow the other order, which told them to escape into the catacombs? But fortunately (for Joseph and Cremia) did they release them and ran down another corridor hidden behind Aveil's throne. Finally were the young engineer and the young rancher free again.

Romani still lay on the cold ground, bleeding, unconscious and without the slightest movement. Cremia could still feel the pain Aveil had caused to her stomach and her head. But this didn't stop her to crawl to her brave little sister. She turned Romani around to see her injured face – and the view was a direct stab into her heart. Seeing her own little sister tortured by an insane pirate – particularly for no reason! She opened Romani's damaged coat to reveal her white dress, which was ragged at some spots – revealing her scratched and blushed, freckled skin.

Cremia hugged Romani's corpse strongly and soaked her sister's shoulder and breast with tears. Joseph in the meanwhile, who was freed from the Gerudo soldier's sweaty hands, used the time to recover from the shock of seeing two good friends being tortured. In the meanwhile fought Link and Aveil on the other side of the roomso quickly, Joseph had no chance to understand their insanely fast movements. Link's sharp sword and Aveil's swift sabers sparked with every hit, igniting the fire of Aveil's hatred towards her enemy more and more. Link glimpsed to Romani, screamed as loud as he could and used most of his offensive power, also driven by his rage, to push Aveil towards the command room's exit. His intention was to keep Aveil and the fight away from the injured ranch sisters and his friend Joseph.

Joseph ran to the cowgirls and hoped that he has the slightest chance to calm Cremia. He kneed down next to her and carefully put his hand onto her shoulder. But she didn't seem to notice him, so he tried it harder. He hugged Romani and Cremia at the same time, where he could feel how cold Romani was compared to Cremia.

Cremia trembled, wept and blubbered out silently:

"M-My lovely Romani … no … I-I can't believe-… s-she's dead … t-this must be … huge nightmare! P-P-Precious Romani – she is d-dead. D-Din help her – please!"

Nothing, not the nearby sword fight, not the earthquakes and not even the explosion above the command room's ceiling could interrupt the deep connection between the two ranch-sister.

Joseph hugged Cremia and Romani stronger until his nose got tickled by Cremia's ruffled hair and its spicy ranch scent, which was mixed with Great Bay's salt. But there was something else next to the strange feeling to hug a woman so closely. Joseph saw out of his eye's corner and through the orange-red skeins a movement. He moved slightly away from Cremia and looked at Romani's breast, which moved slightly up and down. To ensure his and particularly Cremia's hopes he held his hand in front of Romani's mouth.

"Cremia!" he spoke loud and clearly. "She's alive!"

"W-What are you saying?" she humbly responded.

"She's still breathing and her pulse is also not gone" he explained while checking Romani's wrist. "Her heartbeat might be weak but she's not dead yet."

Cremia, completely perplex, stared with her wet but hopeful eyes into Joseph's nervous, brown eyes until a bright purple flash, followed by the maybe loudest bang they'd ever heard, brought them back to reality. Trough the northern corner of the command room's ceiling shined an explosion that bent the metallic ceiling to a crater, which edges glowed like liquid iron.

"We really need to get out of here!" Joseph said to Cremia. "I'll carry Romani. I'm the one that took the least physical damage, so I can make myself useful as well – and I guess Romani can't weight that much … hopefully. Can you walk, Cremia?"

She carefully nodded and accepted his idea to carry her younger sister. Joseph put his hands under the still unconscious Romani, stood up and carried her on his left shoulder.

"A-Are you okay?" asked Cremia carefully.

"I'm okay. She's heavier than expected but not heavy enough" he responded. "Let's go now. Time to bring you and Romani out of this sick place. Oh and uh, Cremia, I'll promise you that I will protect your sister like uh, … like she would me my own daughter! Or so … hehe ..."

These words warmed Cremia's heart and a short smile returned to Cremia's mouth. She hobbled next to Joseph and quickly kissed him onto his left cheek. But it was not the right time for smiles and kisses – it was time to finally escape Aveil's claws and the new, unknown threat.

In the meanwhile fought Link like he never did before. He once defeated Ganondorf, the lord of evil, but like him meant Aveil serious business. Her sword skills were impressive – elegant like an oriental dance but sharp like the unhandy blade Joseph used to shave at the ranch. Like a tornado she whirled around and cut every flesh she touched. But the Hero of Time managed to dodge every attack of her. She was good at offensive – but not good enough for Link. She wasn't the best at defense – but good enough to dodge each one of Link's counters. Link stroke with such intensity, he managed to push her outside of her own throne-room – with showers of sparks whenever he hit her blades.

Now finally fighting away from Joseph and the ranchers he and his enemy quickly got soaked by the intensive rain that made the ground slippery like aquaplaning on the Autobahn. Whoever slips will fail the battle and thwart the other one's plan. But slippy ground was in fact their least problem. Even though neither Aveil, nor Link noticed them at first – many unknown creatures flew all over the fortress. Only their high-pitched noises and the thunder of purple explosions they'd caused let them glimpse at the invasor for a second. The explosions were caused by fast flying, blue glowing balls that melted the fortress' iron surfaces with ease.

Link turned around because he felt the edges of the stairs behind him. He quickly ran down the slippy steps and Aveil, driven by her rage, followed him with a jump attack. Link dodged and saw how Aveil slightly slipped. This was it – the opportunity to end this battle by seriously injure the sadistic leader of the pirates in western Termina. But before he could haul off for the final strike the ground shook as strong as an near volcanic eruption – followed by an deafening bang and a bright flash.

The Gerudo watchtower that stood in the center of the field got hit by one of the nimble flying creatures – causing its wood to burn and its iron framework to melt until the tower slowly collapsed. The suspension bridge, connecting the tower and the entrance to another part of the fortress, whipped around with the fell of the burning tower. Link and Aveil both saw that the bridge swung to their direction, so both acted immediately. Aveil dodged to the left and Link dodged to the right – and the bridge smashed between them.

* * *

**Part II**  
Pirate-Fortress – Dusk

* * *

"I have no clue how we can escape this hellhole, but we really shouldn't stay inside here, Cremia" said Joseph to Cremia, while he still carried the unconscious and hurt Romani in his hands.

"W-without a doubt must we leave this cruel place but I highly doubt it'll be much safer outside" Cremia responded while slowly recovering from the shock situation.

"But if we don't move, this building–"

***Boom*** … one of the energy-projectiles from the flying creatures hit the main-building followed by a bright and loud explosion above their heads – followed by drops of liquid iron that pelt down a few meters away. Cremia turned to Joseph and said: "O-Ok, you're r-right!"

Cremia and Joseph immediately ran to the outside, where death and pure devastation brought them into another shock situation. About three unknown flying creatures, which Joseph still saw as airplanes in some way, flew above the fortress and shot their projectiles aimlessly at the fortress.

In the far distance they saw two silhouettes fighting next to the burning, crushed and melted watchtower. Between the watchtower's debris lay skeletons of defeated Gerudo, who defended their home without the slightest chance. Wherever the projectiles hit did the ground burn or melt – even if the sky's tears rained down onto the glowing spots.

"Oh my. I-In the name of Nayru w-what is happening? I-Is … is it war?" Cremia asked completely disturbed while she, her injured sister and Joseph got soaked by the purling rain. Neither Joseph, nor Cremia had ever seen a scene of war like this. Joseph knew how wars look like in his computer games and the several videos he'd seen in the history lessons. But this strange enemy and their weapons were far away from the human world and even further away from Termina. Seeing death and destruction and facing the fear of dying without a respawn is nothing compared to the wars in virtuality.

Completely stunned and paralyzed stood Cremia there and gazed tearfully at the scenario until Joseph, whose hands carried Romani, carefully nudged her shoulder with his head like an ibex. Neither the human Joseph, nor the Terminan Cremia could compare the army to any army they'd seen.

"Come on let's go, Cremia! I really, really,** really** hope we'll find at least a safe spot" urged Joseph and both began to run.

"Din, Farore and Nayru," prayed Cremia while she hobbled down the stairs. "I beg for your mercy. Guide us over the end's chasms."

The bright purple and pistol-loud explosions all over the place lit the fortress for a couple of seconds, which helped them to orientate through the darkness. Another good thing was the cooling rain that washed away the blood from Romani's and Cremia's clothes. Besides it also cooled the wounds, which harmed the pain for Cremia a lot.

Meanwhile the young Hero of Time, Link, and the blade-dancing pirate leader, Aveil, continued their battle and fought next to the watch-tower, which burned with orange, red and blue flames. Aveil's unstoppable desire to adorn her wall with the cut-off head of Link, the thief, got only stopped by Link's desire to safe the innocent ranch sisters and his friend Joseph. He didn't want to kill her. Instead he focused to land a critical hit – to bring her mind back into reality – to show her that her people die from a new threat. But yet remained Aveil's focus upon her broken honor.

She focused all her anger and passion and danced with her sabers like an unstoppable storm of razor blades. Her technique was unconventional, even for a Gerudo, but its efficiency forced her servants more than once per day to clean her sabers. No one of her enemies knew where she'll strike next and while twirling around she could also easily block any one of Link's strikes.

Aveil's patience snapped after fighting Link for nearly a quarter of an hour – causing her aggressivity to explode and her blood pressure to erupt like a volcano. With all of her power focused into her blades she pushed Link towards the corridor, which ended in the fortified port of the pirate-fortress. She pushed him like he did with her before.

"You're better than expected, boy," Aveil spoke and stroke three times whereof Link had dodged two attacks while he blocked the last strike with his sword. "But not you and much less that stupid freckled arrow peasant will dishonor me! After I crushed your skull, your well-suffering freckled peasants will get my helmet and Joseph or whatever his name was will be caged like my other valuable property!"

"I don't want to kill you," replied Link and swung his sword towards her legs. "But I will protect my friends and the innocent ones – no matter what. Your cowardice towards people, who haven't done anything to you, is pure insanity."

Link jumped backwards and could take a rest for a couple of seconds. Aveil walked towards Link, slowly, and he was forced to also walk backwards unless he's tired of life. With her yellow-glowing eyes she gazed deep into Link's fearless blue eyes.

"Brave, aren't you? But you're foolish if you believe I won't take revenge. I became the laughing stock upon the Gerudo since your greedy fingers touched my property. No one will ever dare to rob me again after I stacked your bloody, beheaded bodies at the door sill of Clock-Town's major."

"Your honor? Is your honor more important to you than your own people? Aveil, look around! The Gerudo are dying because of those terrifying birds shooting magical arrows at your fortress! Turn around and save them instead of satisfying your egoistic beliefs."

"They die for me and only for me. I don't care what those things are! Today is the day where you will die" responded Aveil before she took a few steps back for a quick jump-attack.

Link didn't get why she was so stubborn and ignorant – because in the end he was right. Most Gerudo soldiers fought against this unknown threat to protect what they love. The rest of them escaped to catacombs, which the leader two generations before Aveil ordered to construct. But even though the Gerudo didn't die without a fight none of their weapons could harm them. Bows and arrows were useless against the quick drones. Cremia and Joseph in the meanwhile arrived next to the, still burning watchtower.

"Cremia, look! Over there!" he pointed at a higher entrance on the southern wall of the devastated inner yard. This corridor connected the fortified port and the inner yard from another way - but it was two floors higher than Joseph, Cremia and Romani. Unfortunately they couldn't go the same way Link and Aveil did because the entrance got blocked by debris, orange and blue fire and melted iron. Cremia looked around and saw something that looked like big, fortified crates – maybe used as a defensive wall.

"Joseph, if we can push one of these crates to the wall, we might be able to get up."

Joseph laid Romani down on the wet floor next to the wall, which was maybe not the best place for her while explosions and fire lit the nearby surroundings. "Uhm, please stay where you are …" whispered Joseph to the still unconscious and weakly breathing Romani. After his unnecessary request, he ran to Cremia, who already stood behind one of the fortified crates.

"Alright, let's push. Pushhh … argh … come on, just … a few more meters!" said Cremia, withstanding the pain in her aching leg, while they pushed the crate together towards the wall.

"Okay … *gasp* … I don't want to know what they store in those crates but it feels like tons of sand" replied Joseph. "Nevermind! Let's get out of here."

Joseph lifted the, gradually heavier getting, Romani onto the crate and said "ladies first" to Cremia. Now after the first wall was climbed, they still had to get up the second wall – which was no problem at all. The drones had already shot at its edge before and left behind a pile of debris and melted metal that got cooled down by the intensifying rain. Floor by floor lifted Joseph Romani upwards and he also offered Cremia his hand until they stood in front of the corridor that led to the fortified port. There was no time to waste, so they headed to the end of the corr–

***Boom*** … another projectile hit the fortress – but unfortunately a couple of meters behind Joseph, Romani and Cremia. The torrid wave of heat along with its deafening shockwave caused Cremia and Joseph to fall to the ground together with Romani. Fortunately the projectile didn't hit them directly – otherwise their fate would have been sealed by leaving three burning piles of ash behind. Cremia and Romani didn't get much damage except for some more, smaller scratches. Joseph, on the other hand, got fortunately hit by debris – fortunately because the debris was nothing compared to a touch of the fireball, the cloud of plasma or its small lightnings behind them – not to mention the drops of liquid iron that splashed around from the explosion's epicenter.

His right thigh got hit by a fist-sized part of older debris lying around, which started to fly again due to the shockwave. "Arrrgh – damnit! Paiiin!" Joseph screamed.

"Oh my … Joseph no! Are you alright? C-Can you walk?" Cremia carefully asked. She also looked at Romani, who got cushioned by Joseph's lower arms and his hands. Fortunately her head didn't crush onto the ground when they both fell.

"Ouch … well, I think I can. Mother of god, damn those flying shitheads!" he replied and stood up again. Now both hobbled together through the iron corridor and arrived at a platform above the salty water of Great-Bay.

"This looks like some kind of port" commented Cremia.

"Isn't this some kind of gate over there?" asked Joseph and pointed to a weakly lit gigantic wall made of steel he'd spotted through the darkness and the rain.

"By Farore do I hope so. But without a boat we can't escape," she explained while he looked around. "Hopefully we'll find one of those notorious, sailless Gerudo boats."

"It looks like that those planes, drones or whatever don't fly over the port, so we got that going for us, which is nice," began Joseph. "First of we need to find a boat and then open that gate somehow – and don't forget about Link."

"Hey, pssst!" suddenly a voice whispered behind Cremia, Romani and Joseph, who immediately turned around. Terror was writ large in their faces after they saw a Gerudo armed with two silver-ornamented, curved sabers. The woman, who was dressed exactly like Aveil – except for the jewelry and except for the red color, which was green instead – came closer and spoke: "I could help you with the gate."

"Oh my … please no! D-Don't kill us! We want peace!" shouted Cremia and not only she became nervous again. Not only that Cremia probably couldn't withstand another torture from another Gerudo – but Romani only needed enough wasted time until she really died in Joseph's arms and beneath Cremia's tears. Even though she was armed as much as Aveil she didn't draw her weapons but held her hands up in the air instead while she came closer and closer.

"Harming you is far from my intention. Killing unarmed, innocent and injured people in times of war is as stupid as my self-called leader. I know how to leave my home and now I desire to escape like you do, so will you come with me?" she explained before she came closer.

Who's this mysterious person that offered assistance in escaping the fortress? What about Link and Aveil? Can Link even defeat her and knock some sense into Aveil's mind? Are really all Gerudo untrustworthy and greedy thieves or is there also a spark of goodness inside their hearts?


	9. Appetite for Destruction

**{{{ Chapter 9: Appetite for Destruction }}}**

* * *

**Part I  
**Pirate-Fortress (Fortified Port) – Early Night

* * *

"Whoa" gasped Link as he felt the edge of the platform above Great Bay's salty water directly behind him. Aveil had pushed him with her saber-dancing though the corridor that ended at the fortified port of the Gerudo fortress – the port that stored the several boats and smaller ships that didn't require any wind to move. Fortunately, for Link, he'd recognized the edge early enough – otherwise the sea would have swallowed him like a hungry Goron.

"I told you boy, there's no chance in defeating me. Surrender! Now!" shouted Aveil and crossed her sabers in front of Link's throat. Is it the end? There's no space behind and he's also slowly out of puff. But Link was simply too savvy for his enemy and one unconventional opportunity opened up – his only chance to escape Aveil. Link simply took one step backwards and fell down before Aveil could end his life. But instead of water dabbling heard Aveil Link's boots landing on solid ground. One of the Gerudo patrol boats, whereof four of them circled and guarded the large port, directly patrolled beneath Aveil and Link.

Aveil's blood pressure exploded once again after she saw that the cheeky boy slipped through her fingers one more time. With her fullest hatred she loudly screamed: "You coward!" while he fought against the guardians on the boat. Both of them didn't stand any chance against the warmed-up Link and his precise sword strikes. His blade crushed their spears, followed by a strong kick into the first guard's solar plexus and a strong punch at the second guard's chest – forcing them to fall off the boat.

"Not this time! You vile coward I'll get you!" she screamed before running quickly along the platform's edge, where she jumped down towards the boat with her notorious jump attack. Unfortunately for Link he didn't know how to control those boats, so it just swam around its standard-route. Aveil continued her fight with Link two meters in front of him – on a small boat, while it circled the port's center, while darkness blinded both and heavy raining soaked their clothes and while unknown intruding flying creatures terrorized the fortress with their devastating projectiles. For Link was one thing sure without a doubt: This night meant business for him, for Aveil, for Joseph, for Romani and for Cremia.

In the meanwhile Cremia and Joseph still stood in front of the frightening Gerudo, who offered the adolescent and redheaded rancher named Cremia, the young and unconscious archer named Romani and the foreign engineer named Joseph, her help. With faces of distrust went Cremia and Joseph, who still carried Romani in his hands, a couple of steps backwards while the Gerudo came closer and closer.

"Follow me" she spoke to them before she turned around. Joseph and Cremia looked at each other and both thought _"should we follow her?"_ to each other.

Cremia and Joseph with Romani carefully followed the Gerudo back to the corridor where they originally came from – but halfway through the corridor they'd stopped and turned left, where an iron door with a giant, but opened, lock stood between them and another room.

"That's the control room where I will open the gate" explained the Gerudo while she pulled the door with all of her power. A gigantic room, filled completely with gears, levers and pirate flags, greeted the escapers with its scent of rust and diluted smoke of burnt wood that originated from the torches weakly lighting the room.

"I'm glad you're helping us. T-Thank you," began Cremia humbly as she slowly tried to trust the Gerudo. "W-What's your name? If I may ask you of course …"

"Nazran" responded the Gerudo after she went to two large levers at the left wall and a thick rope hanging down from the ceiling.

"Pardon?" asked Cremia because she didn't hear her properly due to the gears that slowly began to turn.

"Nazran is my name – and you're welcome. Who are you?" she repeated.

"My name is Cremia and the man next to me is Joseph" introduced Cremia. Joseph could only introduce himself with a humble "hi" at first. But while Nazran pulled the rope he also introduced someone – not himself but the girl he's carrying.

"This is Romani by the way. She got–"

"I feel embarrassed for not helping you while Aveil did this to you" Nazran pointed at Cremia's hobbling leg. "Particularly when she attacked your sister. I'm so sorry – you seem to be sincere people. Aveil and the blinded ones, who follow her, were outnumbering me."

Nazran's reply left Cremia and Joseph speechless. She wanted to intervene but feared she wouldn't defeat Aveil and the guards.  
"I-It's okay," Cremia replied. "We survived … somehow."

"I'll at least get you out of here – back to your home – back to your family. I'm also sick of Aveil's tyranny. She doesn't deserve to be called a leader!"

Nazran was right. Most of the Gerudo suffered due to Aveil's petulance. With each raid, each offensive, each act of robbery that Aveil had planned together with her officers she always talked about 'treasures that will make every Gerudo rich' – but in the end only Aveil's wallet grew while her staff shrunk. Cremia, Romani and Joseph were Nazran's ideal opportunity to escape to a maybe better place. Dealing with the hatred against the Gerudo in Clock-Town, who were well known as racketeers, kidnappers of men and marauders, was nothing compared to the permanent suppression beneath Aveil's whip. She would rather–

"Ugh …" suddenly squeaked a voice "Sis?" the voice asked.

"Oh my – Romani! My precious Romani!" Cremia shouted and immediately rushed to Joseph to hug him and Romani.

"Sis, why are you squeezing me? Blueberry, why are you carrying me? Why does Romani feel so much headache?"

To see Romani alive didn't only calm Cremia but Joseph and Nazran as well. After Nazran pulled the last lever spun huge and loud gears slowly like a windmill's grinder. While they opened up the giant gate she grabbed a hanging ladder, made of dark, rotten wood.

"Okay, this should do it. Come on, let's move out!" said Nazran loud and clearly and everyone, except for Romani, whom Joseph still carried, moved out. Joseph's and Cremia's legs were hurt and Romani still felt woozy and weak.  
After their arrival at the platform at the end of the corridor the steel-gate on the southern-side of the fortress slowly opened. Nazran in the meanwhile fastened the hanging ladder, she'd carried beneath her arm on the rusty edge of the platform. Beneath the platform waited a moored boat, which was the ticket for Cremia's, Romani's, Joseph's and Nazran's final escape. Wait, haven't they forgotten someone?

"Isn't that Link and Aveil over there?" commented Joseph and pointed towards a boat, where sparks flew left and right.

"Oh my, yes! You're right!" responded Cremia.

"Is my Grasshopper fighting against the Gerudo?" Romani asked.

"Quick," interrupted Nazran. "Climb down onto the boat. We'll aid your friend once I steer it."

"Romani, can you climb?" asked Cremia.

"Cling on tight, Romani! I'll climb down with you – I don't want you to crash down onto the boat" interrupted Joseph before she hugged his neck with her arms and his hip with her legs – followed by a soft kiss onto his neck. But as quick as her heart got warmed it also got frightened again.

"In Nayru's name what are those things?" asked Romani after she saw two purple lights, followed by a piercing noise, flying over the bay until they turned back in a wide bend. The fortress itself was nearly devastated, so the port might be their next target. Joseph, even though his leg ached, climbed down as fast as he could. Romani lay down on the boat's rear side, even though she was able to stand again.

"We'll explain later, Romani. First we need to get Link and then out of this h–" Joseph suggested but a loud scream interrupted.

"Aaaaah!" a well known scream originated from another boat patrolling around. Cremia and Nazran also quickly climbed down the ladder and saw together with the others how the smaller one of the silhouettes tumbled into the water.

"Uh-oh," said Joseph. "Did she just – kill him?"

His heart beat like the kind of electronic music he loved to listen. What can he and his allies do? He looked around and thought for a second before he took off his coat and pullover, which he quickly handed to Cremia – along with his wallet and phone he'd stored within his pockets. Without further words he jumped into Great Bay's salty water, where he had dived as fast as he could towards Link. While trying to avoid the usage of his legs, whereof the right one burnt like two liters of sanitizer in an open wound, he saw him slowly sinking to the ground – but fortunately Joseph could grab his hand before all of his oxygen was depleted.

As soon as he grasped for air he soon noted that the surface was not safe anymore. A boat waited next to him – but it weren't his friends with a reception committee. Instead awaited the gasping and coughing Link and his friend Joseph a rain-soaked and furious Aveil. She looked deep into Joseph's eyes and brandished her sabers around until they finally were within range. Joseph swam backwards as fast as he could while he tried to avoid diving Link's screaming head beneath the rocking water surface. Aveil drew both of her daggers and threw them. One dagger missed between Joseph's and Link's head while the second one flew straight towards Link's stomach – until the water between the dagger and his stomach cushioned the impact strong enough. Now screaming out her full hatred she he drew her sabers again and got ready for the ne–

***boom***… her boat got rammed by another boat – causing Aveil to stumble into the water. "Quick, get up!" said Nazran, who reached along with Cremia for Link's and Joseph's hands. Link lay down next to Romani, where red water flowed down from his chest and Joseph grasped for air while he stared at the boats surface.

Nazran navigated the boat along with Cremia, Link, Romani and Joseph towards the open gate until it was finally done. With the goddesses blessing mixed with skill and luck was Cremia finally rescued. But this mission didn't leave them scarless for sure. The lives of Romani and Link stood on the cliff to the abyss of death and only a thin thread of silk held them back. Joseph would sooner or later definitely have been caged, just to see how his lovely friend Cremia served as a guinea pig for Aveil's newest instrument of torture – the so called helmet.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Joseph swore. "Aveil's back up her boat – and she's coming after us!"

"I'm afraid that she'll be faster than us. We're heavier than her …" replied Nazran.

"Then use the nitro!" joked Joseph. "It's not a matter of mass but a matter of acceleration!"

"A-Aren't they coming closer?" asked Cremia and pointed above Aveil's shadow. "I-I mean those, uh – firebirds."

The approach of two drones, which finished their offensive against the fortress, got announced with noises and purple-glowing balls that quickly flight over the wild sea.

"Din, Farore and Nayru, mighty goddesses I beg you to hear my pray. Guide us through the sea of shadow past death's noosing abyss …" prayed Cremia and crossed her arms in front of her chest – which was well known as a religious movement in Termina.

"I'll drive to Great Bay's coastline. Hopefully we can find some cure for the boy and Romani. I really hope Aveil's blades weren't poisoned – otherwise we could throw him back into the water again" explained Nazran and navigated her boat through the dark, foggy and rainy night, which was only lit by a half moon trying to shine through the thick cloud ceiling.

* * *

**Part II  
**Great Bay – Night

* * *

"Din, mighty goddess of power – punish those with your strength, who bring harm upon the living and the dead.  
Farore, mighty goddess of courage – strengthen all those executing the mission of the holy Triforce to face the whisperers of fear and evil.  
Nayru, mighty goddess of wisdom – lead all those with your eternity, which knows no wrong path, past those, who have already stumbled to the shedders of blood" Cremia silently prayed with crossed arms.

Joseph, who rolled his eyes and thought _"thank god I'm an atheist"_, put his hand onto Cremia's shoulder and looked back to the 'shedders of blood'. Aveil came closer and closer – along with two drones that circled above her and the five refugees. Only the death of Cremia, Romani, the traitor Nazran and particularly Link as well as the caging of Joseph would sacrifice her search for revenge. The flying creatures came closer and one of them flew just a couple of meters above the Five's heads – in fact close enough for Joseph to see how they actually looked like.

"Uh …? I might be wrong but …" he began. "Did I just see a spider attached to – a plane? What the heck!? First I stranded in medieval and now flying nopes that shoot plasma outta of nowhere. This **must** be a computer game. There's no way this would make any sense otherwise. Or is it the longest dream I have ever dr–"

"Sis, Blueberry, the other bird comes closer!" interrupted Romani and pointed at the second purple-glowing ball flying above the foggy sky. Stutteringly she demanded to defend the ones she loved: "Romani doesn't have a-arrows anymore. She can't fight back. D-Do you have any arrows?"

"You were unconscious half an hour ago and you're still bleeding, young lady. You're not going to fight anything!" dunned Cremia full of solicitude.

"But sis, I c–"

"No buts, Romani!"

While Romani, who still lay next to Link on the saltwater-soaked boat ground, discussed with Cremia, who sat at the boat's center, noticed Joseph and Nazran, who both sat at the boat's rear controlling the steering oar, something else.

"There is one thing I particularly find odd" began Nazran.

"You mean the fact that we're refugees that try to escape a sadist pirate and two giant flying spiders while it's storming?" Joseph cheekily asked. _"Not even European refugees had it that hard … I guess."_

"Aveil is coming closer and already whets her sabers – but I wonder what those flying beasts are waiting for. When taking a look at their weaponry we should be an easy target out on the open sea. But they just keep circling above us and neither shoot Aveil, nor us."

"You're right. But hopefully you didn't put the kiss of death on us with that perception."

In the meanwhile Aveil's silhouette grew bigger and bigger with every minute. What could the five do against the first enemy they definitely will encounter? Romani had no arrows left and pain still pumped through her bones – pain weak enough to not let her scream and weep but strong enough to interfere her agility. Link still convolved with pain caused by the saltwater in his slash wound. Joseph and Cremia both weren't fighters – at least not physically. Even if they were would their aching legs have disabled their ability of self-defense slightly. Nazran was the only one, who was still able to fight – but Aveil's sword-fighting skills were out of her league. Besides was she the only one to know how to navigate the boat through the stormy night. Fighting was no option to anyone, so they used the one thing more important than pure strength – the power of the mind.

"I'll steer into the fog over there," suggested Nazran and pointed to a cloud of fog on the horizon – so dense that they couldn't see each other anymore once they've arrived. "We might be able to shake Aveil off in there."

"T-Thank you, J-Joseph," suddenly spoke a well-known voice next to Romani. "T-Thanks for pulling me out of the water …"

"That goes without saying, Link. No need to thank me. Glad to see you've survived" replied Joseph. Romani already turned over and hugged her Grasshopper.

"This salt – it burns like fire!" whimpered Link slightly. His chest was cut by Aveil's razor-sharp saber and caused a deep wound that Joseph had bound up with his rain-soaked pullover. The pain Great Bay's water, which had half as much salt as the Dead Sea, had caused slightly got washed away by the rain. But the sky's teardrops alone weren't enough to heal his wound – but something Kafei and Anju had gifted him might be able to do so.

"R-Romani," Link gasped. "Could you please give me my bag?"

Link withstood the pain and sat up. He grabbed into his magic bag Romani had carefully laid onto his chest. The odd thing about it was that it could contain plenty of much larger items, even though it only seemed to be as big as a belt bag. After a couple of seconds of hectic searching he put out a bottle, filled with a viscous red swill. A plop sounded, Link drank the liquid and most curious eyes kept their focus at him. What happened next was truly amazing – particularly for Joseph, who had never seen something as odd as this liquid. Link waited, choked, spit, clenched his fists and took a couple of deep breaths before he removed Joseph's blood- and rain-soaked pullover from his wound. But the wound was gone – alongside with the pain.

_"What the …? Okay, never mind! I am not even going to ask"_ thought Joseph.

Link's hand vanished deep into the small bag again, where he put out two other red potions. One bottle he handed to Cremia, the other one to Romani.

"Where did you get all those potions?" asked Nazran. "They're quite expensive medicine."

"Kafei had gifted them to us before we began the journey. Joseph, Romani and I got one. Romani gave me hers when she and I had infiltrated the fortress. Joseph's backpack got stolen and we still have no idea where the Gerudo stored it. But overnight we found a green and a red potion, so I took those instead" explained Link. Joseph's and Cremia's faces both expressed their _"not bad"_-thoughts without even opening their mouths unlike Nazran, who kept her expression for respect inside.

The ranch sisters drank their potions and the injuries, caused by Aveil's dangerous whip, her fists and her kicks, disappeared completely. Beside Aveil's strikes also healed the deep wound that the Gorman-Brothers had caused in Cremia's leg. But Cremia didn't drink the potion completely. She kept one last sip for Joseph, whose leg got wounded by flying debris. With thankful eyes and a curious nose he smelled the liquid first – and it was conspicuous that the potion will taste extremely bitter. The smack of rotten wood flakes, cloves and a spit of expired lemons increased Joseph's disgust drastically. The pain in his leg slowly disappeared – but unlike the healed wounds of his friends the pain slowly returned. Nonetheless did it return much weaker than before. How awful and disgusting it may have tasted – its effect was better than any aspirin, any antibiotic or any plaster could ever be. The potion also calmed the drinker's rumbling minds and helped them to keep a clear view upon their surroundings.

"Yay! I've found another arrow" Romani silently cheered. "Romani knew there was another one in the backpack!"

"Hey Link," whispered Nazran and tapped his back. "Didn't you say you stole a green potion?"

"Yes I did" he responded before putting out the green-glowing vial. "Why?"

"If I remember correctly, then there might be a way to get rid of both, Aveil and the invaders. You just need to use **it**" explained Nazran. She waved and told Link to come closer before she whispered something into his ear. He thought for a couple of seconds and nodded before he turned to Romani.

"Could I please have the arrow, Romani? Nazran and I have a plan."

"Are Grasshopper and Nazran sure that their plan works?" asked Romani carefully before she handed the arrow along with her bow to Link. Cremia and Joseph observed their friend Link, their ally Nazran and the ranch sister's remaining family Romani and attempted to figure their obscure strategy.

"I don't know," Link responded carefully. "Please trust me … you all."

"Please tell us what you have planned" claimed Cremia, slightly nervous.

"First we have to have Aveil within our sight" explained Link and kept further details.

"You want what, mate!?" asked Joseph full of shock.

"Romani hopes Grasshopper knows what he does!" worried Romani. "Romani could also shoo–"

"No" interrupted Cremia immediately.

"Romani, have I ever disappointed you?" asked Link with a smile. What other option than trusting Link did the Five have?

About twenty minutes of waiting and observing different directions passed by. Each minute was a test of their patience, which nobody lost just to spot their vengeful stalker. Cremia and Nazran observed the boat's rear side, Link waked its front side, Romani stared into the fog of the boat's right flank whereas Joseph peeked its left flank – until a shadow approached within Cremia's fog-blurred sight. She turned to Link and tugged his sleeve a couple of seconds before a peeved voice shouted loudly: "Green Thief!"

Link readied himself for the final encounter with the voices origin, who was no less than Aveil. He quickly choked down the green potion, the arrow as well as his hand trembled like leafs in the autumn wind, warm raindrops flowed down his forehead and Romani's bow was already strained – and his friends stood full of tension behind him. The shadow came closer and slowly unveiled itself into a double-saber armed pirate leader. Only twenty meters of storm-lashed ocean stood between both boats.

"Why do you refuse to die? Die already! You and the vermin you call your friends!"

Unfortunately Aveil had shouted so loudly, above their heads returned the two purple-glowing balls that wheeled and waited for another shout.

"I'm sorry Aveil," whispered Link before he closed his eyes, took two deep breaths – and released the arrow. "Maybe next time."

Half a second before he released the arrow Link's arrow turned the night into day again. An arrow as bright as a thousand floodlights flew towards Aveil – but Link had missed. Neither did his arrow touch Aveil, nor her boat. "What an idiot he is" thought Aveil. "He didn't even scra–"

Her naive thoughts stopped after two high-pitched charge-sounds interrupted them. Like a strike from the goddesses themselves flew two purple-glowing balls straight at Aveil's boat. Fortunately for her she jumped off timely – otherwise not only the water around her and the light arrow floating on the surface would have been vaporized.

As soon as the explosion vanished and the surroundings drowned in darkness once again the drones became more and more silent. Fortunately for Link, Joseph, Romani, Cremia and Nazran they kept their joy for themselves. One loud noise or light was enough to return the drone's attention. Romani and Link nearly fell off the boat after she hugged him so strongly that they fell to the ground. Cremia and Nazran only smiled, whereas Joseph raised his thumbs while he slowly tried to explain why the arrow suddenly shined with 60,000 lumen within a circle of 38,48 square meters around its epicenter.

Nazran immediately navigated out of the fog again towards the Five's desired destination – the coastline of Great-Bay. About half an hour later was the coastline already within their line of sight – along with the mountains, the forest, Clock-Town and …

"Oh my … what in the great name of the goddess Nayru is **that**?" asked Cremia and pointed at the sky above Clock-Town.

"Sis I'm so scared. Termina looks creepier than the ranch ghosts" shivered Romani while she grabbed Cremia's skirt to cuddle.

"I've never seen such kind of sorcery before" spoke Link, whose nervousness also increased the more they came closer. "Whatever it is – it'll mean a lot of business".

"The fuck is this shit!?" expressed Joseph along with raised hands and a rapidly increasing fear of death.

Nazran's mouth kept closed – unlike her eyes that kept her focus upon **it**. What could this mysterious sorcery be that Link had spoke about?


	10. The Union of the Romani Ranch

**{{{ Chapter 10: The Union of the Romani Ranch }}}  
**

* * *

**Part I  
**Great Bay (near the Pinnacle Rock) – Midnight

* * *

"Whatever this thing is, those _birds_ seem to protect it" commented Nazran.

"I highly doubt that it's a good idea to move straight towards it" responded Cremia. "Wouldn't it be the best to stay away as far as possible?"

"Would you prefer to return into the pirate fortress?"

"Of course not! It's just that I don–"

"Romani suggests going back to the ranch," interrupted Romani, "while we stay near rocks and trees."

"Well, Link's light-arrow worked well and they didn't shoot us through the fog – even their aiming at the fortress seemed kind of random to me" explained Joseph. "Those drones seem to be quite blind at night, which is surprising for plasma shooting spiders with jet packs. They hardly hit anything as we saw in the fortress before – and along with that do most of us wear dark clothes."

"Romani and Joseph are right. We wear Anju's and Kafei's coats and Nazran wears dark green Gerudo clothes. Only Cremia's white blouse is the only thing that slightly shines out" commented Link.

"Wait," said Joseph and took off his coat with its brown and purple patterns, revealing his rain-soaked blue pullover beneath. "Take it. Sky blue is darker than white."

Cremia smiled and took his coat. "Thank you, Joseph."

But while Nazran carefully steered the boat towards the approaching coast did Cremia use the time to hug her friends and to say: "I-In fact thank you all so much! I h-have not the slightest clue how I could ever return the favor to you. All the burdens and all the dangers you went through – thank the three goddesses nobody let his or her life. I couldn't bear the death of you, Romani, Link and Joseph. You withstood so much danger. Thank you all so much! A-And you too, Nazran. Without you we would be killed by the firebirds."

"Romani loves her sister. Blueberry and Grasshopper loves her sister. Everyone loves her sister" said Romani while she got squeezed by Cremia – followed by a kiss onto her cheek.

"It's my destiny to help those in emergency and protect them from injustice" explained Link and also got squeezed by Cremia's warm and fuzzy hug and cheek-kiss.

"Hey, no sweat! Fortunately wasn't the princess in another castle!" replied Joseph and also got squeezed by Cremia, who kissed him onto his cheek for the second time this day.

"Great to hear your risky, deadly and absolutely foolish mission succeeded" interrupted Nazran before she pointed up the sky. "I also desire to feel save but there's still this blue thing floating above Clock-Town."

Nazran was right. What the five saw above Clock-Town was definitely not an illusion and their eyes weren't deceived when they first saw **it** – the gigantic, light blue-glowing and circulating vortex, which borders were drawn by purple lightnings and sparks. Around the vortex' center flew about six or seven of the drones, firebirds, flying nopes or however they got called – and they waited. Seemingly out of nowhere appeared some of them from the center, whereas others had disappeared there whenever they flew into it. No legend and no tale had ever told about such a mysterious kind of sorcery or such an ominous invader before – until the first one of the five stepped into the shallow waters of Great Bay's coastline – the first step to Termina's rescue.

"Whew! Romani's glad to feel solid ground again" spoke Romani – while her stomach rumbled.

"I'd give my right arm to eat a warm meal! It has been days since I ate properly" said Cremia and tried to remember what she had stored in her pantry.

"First find a save spot, then think about eating!" said Nazran and led together with Link the group towards Termina Field.

Joseph had the idea to climb up the rock-wall and run through the forest between the road to Great Bay and the road to Romani-Ranch – which greatly avoided to stand within the drone's weakened eyesight. Two and a half hours later, after sneaking from rock to rock and from tree to tree while staying near the forest borders opened up a clear view upon the town that Cremia had known since she was half as old as Romani.

"Oh my … p-please tell me it's not t-true!" whispered Cremia before her eyes were watered like her rain-soaked orange-red hair.

"Sister," began Romani after taking her sister's cold hand. "P-Please don't stand still. We have to move on."

Full of tears gazed both ranch sisters at Clock-Town – or what was left from it. Their friends Link, Nazran and Joseph stood side by side behind them. Clock-Town's outer wall was destroyed completely and most of the buildings burned or melted within clouds of infernally hot plasma. Plenty of skeletons and burnt corpses of people, who tried to escape their fate, lay scattered around the cratered grassland.

While Cremia stood there thunderstruck and while Romani tried to drag her sister towards their desired destination recognized Link and Joseph something else. Clock-Town was only a couple of kilometers away – and so was the vortex above it. Besides gloomy and purple glowing, spirally rotating clouds along with the constant electrical noise of a thousand tesla-coils a couple of other details turned this vortex into a mystery of its own.

"Link, do you see it?" asked Joseph and pointed at the vortex. "Its center …"

"It looks like a clean night-sky compared to the stormy rest. But it's for sure not Termina's sky" responded Link.

"I might be wrong but," finished Joseph, "it looks like – some kind of portal!"

"Like a gateway to another world!"

Maybe Joseph and Link were right. It wasn't raining in Clock-Town although everything (and everyone) around it got waterlogged by a slowly abating, cool rain shower. But the thing that drew particularly their attention at the vortex's center were white and blue lights gleaming like a night sky.

"Are those – buildings!?" asked Joseph and pointed at a dark tower that stood upside down within the vortex's center. "I-If yes, then this is truly some kind of gate!"

The drones that attacked Termina flew through the alleged gate and disappeared in the buildings – just to return to Termina again. The gateway's science (or the gateway's sorcery) intrigued both, Joseph and Link, like nothing else did since their arrival in Termina. But the time for the science or magic behind it hasn't come yet. It was time to finally flee to the Romani Ranch for further strategies.

"What are our girls doing?" asked Link and turned with Joseph back to Cremia, Romani and Nazran, who stood at the forest's edge like paralyzed. "They're wasting time."

The two men returned to the three women, whereof Romani tried to pull her sister's arm and whereof Nazran talked insistently to Cremia. But as soon as Link opened his mouth Nazran had already hauled off to slap Cremia back into reality – which left everyone else speechless. The slap was so strong, the usually fearless Nazran was afraid for a second that the drones might have heard it.

"Cremia, listen to your sister. Romani is right, there's no time to waste unless you want to face the same destiny as the other Clock-Towners" spoke Nazran as she looked deep into Cremia's eyes. "Never show that you're afraid and fear won't swallow you. Never give up without fighting!"

"I-I'm so sorry," began Cremia and released her sorrowed mind. "I-It's just … everything has changed so much — and so quickly. Joseph, Link and I just wanted to give Romani a happy birthday … and suddenly I was imprisoned, saw how you all freed me and now Clock-Town burns and … I-I'm not a fighter. I'm just a dairy farmer! I'm just a burden to everyone. W-Why have you freed me?"

"Bullshit detected!" interrupted Joseph. "You're not weak! Haven't you told me you cared for the ranch and your sister since your father has died? Working at the ranch is hard – not to mention that no one helped you all the time! Where I come from no girl at your age would have ever took so much burden upon her shoulders. So if that doesn't mean you're a fighter, then I'm at my wits' end."

"Sister worked so much just to give everyone their milk – and Romani was always lazy and trained with her bow instead! Sister is strong and brave and lovely and reasonable and beautiful!" added Romani. "Romani never wants to hear that sister is weak again!"

"You're the first person, who offered me a new home and a new family. Now it is time to protect this home and this wonderful family! I know – to be honest do I feel like you and I don't understand the situation well enough yet. But I assume I'm not the only one with that" finished Link and his friends agreed. "So come on, Cremia. Let's move on!"

"T-Thank you – t-thank you all! You're right … I shouldn't give up so fast" spoke Cremia before all five moved on. Another hour passed by before they arrived at a signposted glade with a path of gravel and more rock walls and forest surrounding it.

Link carefully sneaked to the sign and read it, followed by the rest: "Hmmm, we're on the Milk-Road. So far so good. I assume thirty more minutes and we should arr–"

*boom* … interrupted Link – but this time there was no sparking fireball and no thunder. But if the drones didn't shoot what else could it have been? All five turned around and saw a frightening silhouette of a about one and a half meter wide and a two and a half meter tall creature. Only a few spots glowed in an ominous purple and blue light.

"_Who_ are you? _What_ are you?" asked Link loud and clearly.

"Uh, okay" said Joseph with an open mouth. "I don't even dare to ask."

"Oh my – what in Nayru's name is that?" asked Cremia.

"Don't you dare to hurt sister, Blueberry, Grasshopper or Nazran!" shouted Romani.

"Whatever it is, we shouldn't stay idle and await a bunch of flowers" ordered Nazran. "Move out!"

Link drew his sword and Nazran drew her saber. Romani grabbed her bow and into her quiver – but unfortunately it was empty, so ranged attacks weren't possible. Cremia and Joseph moved backwards together with Romani, who drew the dagger that Kafei and his soldiers had gifted her. Link also drew his dagger and threw it to Joseph, who'd caught it to defend Cremia alongside with Romani.

Whatever the beast was, it meant business. But will a sword, a saber, two daggers and five determined hearts be enough to defeat the unknown enemy?

* * *

**Part II  
**Milk Road – A couple of hours after midnight

* * *

Unintelligible noises originated from the shadow in front of the five – and it came closer and closer. The closer it got, the more it turned visible and unleashed its insectile nature. Six long and doubly bent legs held the body, which consisted of a large, balloon-formed body that glowed circularly in a gloomy purple at some spots, and a small head with four black eyes and two sharp pliers attacked to the lower part of the body. Its wet ultramarine skin shined within the weak moonlight and a couple of hoses moved at its backside with the strong wind. Quickly glimpsed the insect to the left, where Nazran stood, to the right, where Link stood steady and between them, where Romani, Joseph and Cremia observed and defended.

"Link, you attack on the left. I'll attack on the right" ordered Nazran and both moved out for an offensive to said flanks. "Hopefully this oversized ladybug won't understand us."

The beast's smaller head moved quickly left and right to observe both of their movements. It crawled backwards and screamed loudly with a jarring noise. The beast's hope to scare its enemies failed, so it had to react quickly. It turned quickly to Link, stomped its strong legs into the muddy ground before it –

*pew*… the mysterious invader shot a blue-glowing projectile, which had charged within a purple glowing, blinding circle on its upper head towards Link – the same kind of weaponry that the flying beasts used. Unfortunately, for the beast, it missed and hit the rocky wall instead – leaving behind a glowing crater and a cloud of glowing and sparking plasma. Link dodged but clearly felt the heat it had emitted – along with the sizzling noise of vaporizing raindrops.

While the beast focused on Link, Nazran had tried to attack it from behind. She hauled off and quickly stroke with her saber at the beast's main body – but her primitive weapon repelled from its hard surface like a basketball. _"Strange" _though Nazran and moved back. Its skin looked as organic and soft as leather, but it was as hard as the Iron-Mountain's rocks. She tried something else. Maybe the legs were unarmored – and therefore hopefully weaker. With all of her power she swung her razor-sharp saber at one of the leg's joints – but like before did it repel and only leave a scratch behind.

The beast recognized Nazran's failed attacks and immediately turned to her. It dug out its six legs and used two of them to wildly brandish around while slowly crawling forward. Its unpredictable movements let Nazran dodge the first and second strike but miserably fail at the third one. One of the beast's legs hit Nazran and threw her a couple of meters through the air, where she lost her saber while she flew backwards to Cremia, Romani and Joseph, until she landed on the muddy ground.

"Mother of pain …" she whispered and quickly stood up again. The beast turned back to Link again, because he screamed for a counter attack. It jumped about three meters backwards and charged its purple blinding upper head circle for a second and third shot. The second shot of pure energy hit the, still glowing, rocky wall once again and caused it to collapse as lava that, due to the fast vaporizing of water, sparkled wildly around. The third projectile hit the floor and created a crater after smoking dirt and grass flew scattered to the four winds. Even though it was still raining weakly, it had burned with blue and red fire.

Link dodged every shot but he clearly felt the torrid heat, the sparks of electric charge along with the powerful shockwaves each impact had emitted. Either the beast was a terrible shooter or Link was simply too swift for its aiming. Another tactic was needed thought the beast and released its legs once again. Four legs to crawl forward and two legs to strike powerfully – even though the beast brandished around wildly and unpredictable could Link block every single strike with his sword. Aveil may had struck faster than this oversized bug, but her strikes were way weaker and didn't require all of Link's power to keep its legs out of dangerous reach.

"Bug, I'm over here!" shouted Nazran and threw a couple of stones at its head. "Catch me if you dare!"

It reacted and turned around to Nazran before it stomped into the ground again. A bright and purple glow, followed by another charging sound, could be seen before it shot the fourth projectile at Nazran, whose arm hair got burned when it passed one meter next to her. But as soon as the projectile had impacted the beast crawled forward between Nazran and Link – directly towards Cremia, Romani and Joseph. Link and Nazran threw stones at it to regain its attention – but without the slightest success.

Joseph, full of fear, and Romani, without any fear, stood both steady and held their daggers tight. The menacing invader already moved its claws to take a bite of its fast-food. Two of its black eyes kept its focus upon Romani and Joseph, whereas the two other eyes gazed at the person that definitely looked the tastiest – the unarmed rancher Cremia. It came closer – until it was close enough to be within the reach of Cremia's bodyguards and their daggers.

Joseph stabbed at its leg as strong as he could – but it felt like he would try to stab steel. His dagger slid away and only left a scratch at the surface before the beast threw Joseph a few meters backwards like it did with Nazran before. But unfortunately didn't he land as soft as her. He flew at the rock wall and bashed his head at one of the rocks before he landed in bushes of tall grass. His head's back part bled and his head felt like a flashbang would just have exploded right beneath his nose.

Romani on the other side jumped at its leg and climbed up until she could cling at the leg's joint. The beast tried its best to get rid of the cheeky young redhead but Romani was well known for her ability to hug anyone and anything as strong as a clamp. Not even the beast's claws that snatched for Romani could terrify her. When the beast's leg finally found solid ground again Romani climbed further, passed the first joint and readied her dagger for a direct strike at–

"Uaaah!" gasped Romani before she slid closer to the beast's head – and unfortunately within the reach of its claws. It snatched for Romani and pulled her directly towards its mouth – but Romani, even though she was the shortest one of the five, was tall enough to not fit directly into the mouth. With her arms above the claws and her face pressed at the beast's face she felt how it attempted to squash her. Breathing was impossible and within her chest it felt like her organs were about to squish and her ribs were about to break. Her head grasped for air and was already as red as a tomato. The only thing she saw were shining stars that flew around – but giving up was absolutely no option for her. She held her dagger tight and rammed it with her last power into the beast's lower right eye, which popped and squirted like a grape between two fingers. The beast released Romani immediately and screamed in high-pitched and loud, ineligible noises.

Romani needed a couple of seconds to catch her breath again, whereas Joseph still lay dizzy in the grass – bleeding and completely unable to stand up. His headache felt like a thousand of pans hit him from all directions (including up and down), followed by stings of a thousand needles at his head's backside.

When Romani slightly had recovered, she hauled off and stabbed her dagger with all of her remaining power at the beast's lower side. But like it was in Joseph's case did the dagger only scratch the surface. Nazran and Link in the meanwhile focused their power at the joints that seemed to be a way weaker spot – but the beast's four – pardon – three eyes remained focused at Cremia, who seemed to be the only one, who didn't defend herself. The beast came closer, ignored the attacks from behind, from aside and from below and widely opened its jaw and claws again. Cremia stood up, closed her eyes and …

"Aaaaaaaaah!" she screamed so loudly and so powerfully – Luciano Pavarotti would certainly have become jealous of her voice's intensity. The beast moved backwards and shook its head wildly around. Romani, Nazran and Link were forced to hold their ears – not to forget about Joseph, whose head felt like it would explode every second. Every surface that got reached by Cremia's scream, particularly the beast's metallic skin vibrated like an earthquake. How can someone with a voice as beautiful as Friedensreich Hunderwasser's paintings or as clear as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's compositions use it at the same time as a powerful weapon that scared a two and a half meters tall beast away from her friends and herself? Cremia was clumsy with a sword and she wasn't the most clever strategist either, but nobody could ever imitate her most powerful weapon – her voice.

Cremia stopped after the beast had moved five meters away from the 1.73 meters tall woman. Link and Nazran alongside with Romani ran towards the beast and re-opened their offensive. Cremia in the meanwhile went to Joseph.

"Hey you!" shouted Romani to the beast. "Come and get me! I taste like, uh … pumpkin."

She threw a couple of stones at another one of the beast's eyes, which she'd hit. Nazran stood near Romani to protect her if required. Link in the meanwhile used the time to jump onto its back, where he grabbed the hoses and cables he'd immediately cut with his sword. The beast brandished around again and turned itself two times to hopefully shake of the bold boy. Romani held her dagger in front of her and waited for the right moment. The beast stopped and she threw her dagger directly at the beast's lower left eye, which popped and squirted like the other one. While screaming of pain it had brandished around wildly and aimlessly – but fortunately for Romani did Nazran catch all of its strikes while Link climbed on top of the beast. He slid down to the head, held his sword in the air and pushed his sword into the upper left eye until a resistance stopped it. Link used so much of his power that his sword slid through the flesh until only its hilt remained visible.

Loud and ineligible screams and noises came from the beast's mouth until they slowly fell silent.

Link jumped down before the beast collapsed – its heavy body would have crushed him otherwise. The purple circle slowly darkened and a dark-green and black liquid flowed out of its three destroyed eyes. It was done – the beast was defeated and all five could finally catch their breath again.

"I'm impressed" said Nazran. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

"Nah, Aveil was more challenging" he cheekily replied.

"Blueberry doesn't look good!" interrupted Romani before Link and Nazran followed her to Cremia and Joseph.

He tried his best to stand up, even though Cremia told him to stay at the ground. His sky blue hood already contained plenty of blood stains and the piercing pain in his head didn't calm down in the slightest. Only the raindrops soothed the heat that his head had emitted.

"Are you hurt, Joseph?" asked Link. "I mean _how much_ are you hurt?"

"I-Im okay. Just … go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute" he replied.

"Romani can't leave Blueberry behind!" said Romani clearly. She and Link helped Joseph to sit up.

"Ugh … my head!" whimpered Joseph. He quickly touched his head's backside and saw how blood

mixed with rain onto his ring- and little finger. "Can someone lend me a dagger?" he asked before he took off his, still rain-soaked, pullover.

Romani gave Joseph her dagger that was still dripping with a black liquid from the beast's eyeballs. He used it to cut off one of his pullover's sleeves before he used the improvised tourniquet to stop his head's bleeding. All eyes were focused upon him since it wasn't that easy to get cheap clothes in Termina – but Joseph couldn't suppress a quick laugh.

"Great, now I look like Rambo" he laughed. "Nevermind. Let's move on, we're not safe here."

"You're really unflappable, aren't you?" asked Link before he smilingly shook his head.

The five moved on and arrived at their desired destination after fourty more minutes of exhausting running. In a close distance they saw the shadow of two houses – and together with the houses returned their intensifying desire for food and a bed.

"Thank you dear goddesses!" said Cremia loudly. "Thank you that you protected our house and barn!"

But as soon as Romani rushed to the door to storm into her home, she soon got encountered with another problem.

"Sis?" asked Romani. "Where are the keys?"

"Oh my, – they're in my bag I've forgotten at the wagon" replied Cremia.

"Okay, I'll sleep with the cows then" responded Link.

"I locked the stable as well."

"Let's break a window and climb inside" suggested Joseph – and Cremia looked at him with slightly shocked eyes. "Uh – I'll fix it later, I promise!"

"What about the chimney?" suggested Link. "We need to get up to the roo–"

"No time for fooling around" suddenly interrupted Nazran. "Come inside!"

Cremia, Romani, Link and Joseph turned around and saw how Nazran held the door widely open for them. Their eyes went wide in surprise – particularly Romani's and Cremia's, who both used all of their power to ensure that the creaky door was indeed locked.

"B-But how did you …" asked Cremia.

"Picking locks is easy. Particularly when you – uh, nevermind" Nazran replied.

Now finally inside the ranch-house let Joseph, Romani and Link fall themselves into the stack of hay next to the door, where they took a couple of deep breaths to calm down their aching lungs again. Nazran on the other side sat down at the table, lay her sabers aside and also took one deep breath. Cremia in the meanwhile searched the kitchen's upper shelves and drawers for food reserves to cook a few portions of ranchfast.

"Cremia, please be thrifty with the resources. We don't know how long we can stay here safely" commented Nazran – and Cremia nodded. Link, Romani and Joseph in the meanwhile also sat down at the table.

"Does anyone, by any chance, know who those flying things or these giant insects are?" asked Joseph, who tidied his headband.

"Unfortunately, no. Neither have I seen such creatures in Hyrule, nor here in Termina. Are they eventually coming from Urop?"

"You mean Europe? Nah, definitely not. There are only humans like me."

"The more interesting question is: What exactly do they want?" asked Nazran. "For me it looked like they aimlessly shoot at the peoples all over Termina. But no one has ever seen them before, so why are they attacking us? Every war and every action has a reason behind it."

"What about the clouds above Clock-Town?" asked Romani.

"Joseph and I saw buildings within them" responded Link. "It must be a kind of gate to another world."

"But something like that cannot exist" commended Cremia, who lit the wood beneath the stove in the meanwhile.

"Apparently it does. But its neither Europe, nor Hyrule, so what kind of worl–" answered Link to Cremia's doubts – but his words soon got interrupted by a cold wind that blew out all three candles that stood at the table, alongside with the daunting noise of a creaking door. Only the fire of Cremia's oven lit the room when the door slowly opened. Tension overcame all five when they saw how a silhouette of a hooded person entered the house. Nazran slowly drew one of her sabers, Cremia grabbed the knife she used to cut the bovine stripes, Link moved his hand to his sword as well as Romani moved it to her dagger and Joseph grabbed a glass bottle full of dirty water.

The hooded shape took a big step forward – but it was still not within the reach of the oven's light. With a deep and manly sounding voice the shape spoke: "Sisters of the Romani Ranch …"

These words were enough for Nazran to jump up and hold her saber towards the shadow's face.

"One step closer and I'll cut off your nose" threatened Nazran. Joseph used the time to light the candles with tinder again.

"G-Gorman?" asked Cremia. "Is that you?"

The shape came closer and stood within the candlelight's reach until its frown was clearly visible. It was a man with brown bushy eyebrows, a mustache broader than his head shapes and an eye larger than the other one. Joseph recognized the man's coat and his face – and within a second he stood up and went side to side to Nazran.

"Not you again! Haven't I told you I'll cast a mighty spell upon you if you ever touch Cremia again? We have other problems right now!"

"I assume we all have problems today" replied Gorman – but with hesitation. He turned to the older ranch-sister and asked: "Cremia is your name, right?"

"Y-Yes, I am Cremia."

"Cremia, please listen. I-I'm not here to injure you or your sister or anyone of your friends. I-Instead I beg you for – a sh-shelter."

His words did not only leave Cremia completely perplex. Why did one of the two Gorman-Brothers, who both tried to disable Cremia with the intention to get her and her family bankrupt, now ask her for a shelter, a dry blanket and a few spoons of food?

"My home, my barn, my fields … m-my brother – everything burned down when **they **came. I-I beg you for your assistance … please! I-In return I want you to offer m-my own assistance. Please let's forget about our rivalry – o-once and for all."

Much to Joseph's surprise did Cremia nod – but Cremia knew when someone lied to her. Gorman revealed his face and head within the weak light and his wet eyes told volumes. "**They** don't distinguish between you and me" said Cremia. "In the name of our ranches and our ancestors, let's work together."

Nazran put away her saber and, even tough they still distrusted Gorman slightly, so did also Romani, Link and Joseph put away their weapons. Gorman sat down onto the floor between Joseph's and Romani's chair while all six waited for the meal Cremia had cooked in the meanwhile. Romani, who couldn't wait any longer for food, quickly went upstairs to the bedroom and filled her quiver with plenty of new arrows she'd hidden from her sister beneath her wardrobe.

"May I ask you what's your full name?" asked Link to Gorman, who simply replied with: "I am Ross, the younger one of the Gorman-Brothers."

"It's not much," interrupted Cremia while she put a couple of plates onto the table. "But I hope it'll be enough for tonight."

"Thank you sis! Romani missed your food so much!" thanked Romani. But while everyone, except for Ross Gorman, ate their decent meal – until the door knocked exactly three times.

All six looked around. Nobody left the room, so who could the next guest be?


	11. Tactics

**Notes from the Author: **_Hi there :). This chapter was a bit hard to write, since I couldn't use any dialogue from the previous version of "The Cosmic Gate" – so I needed way longer for that. I also focused on things for my first real book. I've designed a couple of new animals, a completely new vegeation, the overall design of the plot, etc. _

_But I also have good news concerning the Fanfiction: I have many many captivating ideas for the upcoming chapters, so prepare your … eyes. ;)_

_Anyways, have fun while reading and I look forward to any kind of feedback!_

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**{{{ Chapter 11: Tactics }}}  
**

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Romani Ranch – A couple of hours before sunrise

* * *

"Oh my, who could this be?" asked Cremia after the door knocked for three more times. Nervousness returned to her and Gorman, Romani's right hand wandered to one of her arrows while the left one already held the bow, Link and Nazran drew their shiny blades and Joseph snored loudly … while he slept deeply with his head onto his arms.

"Hello? Is anybody inside?" asked a female voice behind the oaken door. "Cremia? Romani? Anybody?"

"If anyone is inside," began another voice, this time male. "We beg for a shelter!"

Nazran stood up and went to the door. "I demand your identity!" she spoke, loud and clearly.

"Who is this?" asked the male voice.

"I asked first!" responded Nazran.

"This is Kafei Dotour and his wife Anju Dotour" replied the male voice.

"Oh my!" gasped Cremia before she'd rushed to the door and tear opened the door. In front of her stood her best friends with wet, windswept hair and dirty clothes – and within a second embraced Cremia both. "Y-You have survived! I'm so glad!"

"C-Cremia you're … but how did you …?" asked Anju. "I thought the Gerudo ..."

"I'm fine, Anju" she replied. "I'm fine. My family has freed me."

"I-I can't say h-how much I'm glad to see you've escaped from this … insane Gerudo scum."

The overwhelmed Anju and the speechless Kafei went inside the cool house, where they soon encountered Nazran, who still stood there with her sabers. With the shimmers of a small chimney fire coming from the left along with the piercing yellow eyes the sight of Nazran terrified Anju and Kafei to their bones. Anju hid behind Kafei, who held his hands in front of him as a symbol of surrender – or the need to protect his wife and himself with his fists if needed.

"Stay back, Aveil" ordered Kafei. "You know that you risk a war if you endanger my wife, my friends or me!"

"D-Do you think this is a t-trap?" Anju fearfully asked her husband.

Nazran, at first completely perplex, stood upright with her sabers before she put them away and reached out her hand. "Please, don't call me Aveil – I hate that name. I am known as Nazran … or insane Gerudo scum – whatever you prefer."

"So you are an ally of the Romani sisters?" asked Kafei.

"Nazran steered the boat and drove sis, Blueberry, Grasshopper and Romani to the coast" explained Romani.

"Oh thanks Farore! I'm sorry. I thought you're … nevermind! Sorry!" apologized Anju. Kafei dragged two milk-containers to the table and used them as improvised chairs for his wife and himself. Nazran in the meanwhile asked Cremia to light a few candles and extinguish the fire in the chimney to avoid attracting the unknown attacker by smoke. Only the weak flickering of candlelight remained to light all eight, who sat tiredly at the table. Link was curious about how Anju and Kafei survived the sudden attack, so Kafei explained:

"Anju and I went for a walk to the edge of the swamp yesterday. We thought this might be a good alternative to our usual route into the mountains – and it must have been a gift of the goddesses that we took this route. At the evening we decided to return to the Stock Pot Inn – and a moment later formed this terrifying purple cloud above Clock-Town – and another moment later did it burned. Anju and I decided to hide within the swamp until we decided to come here."

"We hid for so long – and our hunger is indescribable. I'm so sorry, Cremia. We wanted to search for food at the ranch and–" admitted Anju.

"No need to apologize, Anju. We're all hungry" replied Cremia and put a small pot of warm porridge onto the table, where she glimpsed at Joseph. "... And tired."

Joseph was fast asleep, Romani, Kafei, Gorman, Cremia and Anju were barely able to keep their eyes opened and suppress their yawns. Only Nazran and Link were halfway fit, even thought they both had fought twice this almost eternal day. Silence dominated the room, which got only interrupted by the sound of weak wind gusts and the slurps of the hungry ones that ate Cremia's tepid porridge. Link was sunken in his thoughts – until Romani dragged his mind back into the dark kitchen.

"Grasshopper, what are you thinking of?"

"I have no clue, where we should go next. Our enemies can fly – so we're nowhere really save. The ranch won't protect us, so we must decamp as soon as possible."

"I agree" commented Nazran. "We shall leave the ranch together before the sun rises. Those bugs seem to be kind of blind at night."

"B-But," interrupted Anju. "We can barely hold our eyes open."

"Anju is right. I suggest we sleep a couple of hours here at the ra–" suggested Cremia.

"That would be unreasonable, Cremia" interrupted Nazran. "As Link said won't the ranch protect us. Not even the massive walls of the Gerudo fortress withstood such firepower."

"I understand your concern, but it would also be unreasonable to leave with a weakened concentration. What if we need to defend ourselves again?"

"What if we don't sleep in the ranch-house," began Link – all half-opened eyes focused upon him. "but in the nearby forest instead?"

"Hmmm … if we find a safe spot and cover ourselves with leafs, this would be at least a bit safer" commented Kafei. Romani and Cremia in the meanwhile shook Joseph until his eyes slowly opened. "Blueberry, wake up! Wake up!"

"Ugh, why mom? Isn't it weekend?" he dazedly asked and rubbed his eyes.

"You can soon continue sleeping, Joseph" explained Cremia with a smile. After a short moment of silence the discussion continued.

"I'm sorry b-but," Anju humbly spoke. "Where shall we go after? If Romani Ranch isn't safe, where else can we protect ourselves?"

"I … might know a spot, where this scum won't find us" began Gorman – and all ears focused onto his next words.

"Now you made me curious, Ross. I thought of a safe spot since yesterday but I don't know anyone. If neither Clock-Town, nor the ranch is safe, then please enlighten us" responded Kafei. Gorman hesitated for a couple of seconds – but after he won the fight with himself, his mouth opened.

"W-What I tell you now is a secret of the Gorman family – but I think it would be arrogant to keep it for myself. We have a –" he hesitated. "A hideout deep in the Darkwood forest – almost at the border to the Woods of Mystery."

"The Darkwood forest?" asked Link. "I hear that name for the first time."

"It's the dense forest between the swamp region in the south and the Ikana canyon in the west" explained Nazran. "But most people avoid this forest for its Skulltulas, Bulbork and Jumpers. The marshy ground and tall roots make an escape really hard. But the wood's treetop houses a lot of Fluggsels, so its a good place for very courageous hunters."

"The forest's treetop is quite dense, so no one of those … bird-things will spot us beneath" exlained Gorman. "The hideout also contains enough food to feed us for a couple of days – hopefully until we have a better plan."

"How far away is it to your hideout?" asked Cremia, who gathered the last food reserves she'd stored within her shelves.

"A day's march" he replied. "One day marching for ten days protection."

"That's good. At least we have a plan now" spoke Nazran. She opened her mouth again, hesitated and closed it again – withholding something to her allies.

"Cremia? Romani?" asked Kafei. "What can we take as an equipment?"

"I've already gathered the last food-reserves and almost all of my milk-bottles. We could also take a few knives with us, so you, Anju, Gorman and I can defend ourselves."

"Romani took her last arrows for Grasshopper and herself, so they can protect sis and friends from afar" said Romani.

"We could … *yawn* … take a couple of logs, some cloth and tinder and use them as torches. I think we'll need them as well" suggested Joseph.

As soon as the spoke their last words, they gathered their said equipment and stored it. Only Link, Romani, Kafei and Anju had a backpack, so Cremia used a couple of her blouses and quickly stitched them together until they could be used as an improvised backpack. Along with that gave she Joseph and Nazran her last belts – which they'd used to carry the improvised torches.

Kafei was the first one to leave the house – where their escape finally had started. The first destination of the Union of the Romani Ranch – was Gorman's hideout.

Their plan was nearly as dangerous as Joseph's, Romani's and Link's plan to get into the pirate fortress to save Cremia. Not only drones circled above their heads and awaited them – also held the Darkwood forest plenty of dangers such as Skulltulas or the ominous race called Bulbork. What could endanger their lives even further was a lack of sleep, so their first real destination were the Romani Woods – the small forest in the north of Romani Ranch – where they'll rest for a couple of hours.

And as it seemed were those woods also a gift of the goddesses …


	12. Incinerated Hopes

_**Note from the Author: **Most parts of this chapter were written at four o'clock in the morning, powered by the mystic of Beethoven's Mondscheinsonate. Please enjoy and comment :)._

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**{{{ Chapter 12 – Incinerated Hopes }}}**

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**Part I **  
Grasslands of the Romani Ranch – Sunrise

* * *

In the early morning, where the first rays of sunlight shined gently through the shallow fog, wandered the eight humbly equipped refugees towards the gloomy forest in the north of the Romani Ranch. Desperate for a safe home did they search a spot, where none of their enemies can rob their lives – but through the dimly and somber forest was it hard to see protective roots, burrows or leaf-rich troughs.

"I wonder if we can survive this … war" whispered Anju to her husband.

"The question isn't _if _we can survive," interrupted Nazran. "But _how long_ we can survive."

"Nazran is right. My hideout can only protect us for a couple of days – but what then? If the Terminan soldiers can't defeat them, how should tiny insects like us defeat such an overpowered enemy?" commented Gorman.

"Grasshopper never gave up, so Romani won't as well. We'll fight no matter what will come" spoke Romani, loud and clearly.

"Sssh! Not so loud, Romani!" dunned Cremia. "Not that _they_ hear us."

"Look, over here!" said Kafei and pointed to a root-covered trough that was surrounded by spruce-like trees that held olive-green leafs on its branches. "This looks safe."

"I'm not sure if that's enough sight protection" doubted Link. "Maybe from above but we're still quite near at the border..."

"*yawn* … I don't care" replied Joseph sluggishly and laid down onto the ground, where leafs and dirt soon covered his shirt and his jeans. "I need either sleep or ten pots of coffee now – your decision."

He used his cut pullover as a pillow and a couple of cold leafs as an improvised blanket. The sweet-smelling leafs rustled along with Joseph's trembling. The insect-housing forest ground was as cold as the gentle breeze that blows onto your heated face when you leave your house at an early morning in March. Link and Gorman joined Joseph and lay down near him – and like him did they tremble on the cold, hard ground.

"If we have to sleep, then it should be recovering and not draining our power" remarked Nazran. "Trembling requires a lot of strength the longer we sleep."

Kafei was curious. "It's too dangerous to return to the ranch and get some blankets now – and didn't we say we should only take the–"

"We cuddle" interrupted Nazran. "Cuddling is the best option to keep warm. In mountain missions the Gerudo always shared warmth to withstand the blizzards."

"Oh, then I'll take my husband of course" humbly responded Anju, before she grabbed Kafei's hand.

"Well, if that's the case, then no one except for me touches my wife" Kafei replied with a wink.

Nazran laid down next to Gorman – close enough to feel his warmth but distant enough to not directly touch him. The unwashed horse-rancher smelled way more intense than the ranch-sisters, who also already smelled like a cow-stable. His skin also was as sandy as a person, who went to Nova-Rock for four days without taking a decent shower.

"Romani takes Grasshopper!" calmly cheered Romani and laid down next to Link, where she slowly climbed onto him. The boy in green wasn't able to speak one word – but most of his friends were already used to his nature that was as calm and silent as fledglings that slept beneath their mother's warm wing at an overcast midnight. The little archer could hear the heartbeat of the little swordman, who has never felt something more comfortable than before. The feeling of warmth and a beating heart sleeping onto him let him forget the thoughts that slowly tortured his mind. The girl sleeping on him – and her sister – both almost lost their lives through an act of barbarism and sadism just a couple of hours before – and he was the reason for it. Link gently stroked Romani's head and felt the scars on her neck.

"I-I'm sorry ..." humbly whispered Link.

"Why?" asked Romani.

"It's just … you had to go through all of this – because of me. You didn't deserve such–"

"It's all good, Grasshopper" she whispered before she embraced Link stronger. "All good."

Each one already lay on the ground and shared warmth with each other – except for Cremia, who at first hesitated to come closer to the half asleep Joseph.

"Uhm … well … Joseph … m-may I …?" she humbly asked. He opened his heavy eyes, looked at her, smiled and without further words he slowly nodded and beckoned her over. Slowly but surely came Cremia closer and lay down half onto Joseph, who embraced her and slightly stroked through her cool, tousled hair. One of both was wide awake, the other one released a deep breath and slowly wandered into semi-sleep – but both hearts beat like Goronian drums after eating heated lime stones.

"S-Sleep well, Joseph" Cremia carefully whispered. He took the strands of fox red hair that hung into his face and moved it behind Cremia's long, pointy and cold ear.

"You t-too" he responded and rested his hands on Cremia's back.

With leafs moistened by the morning dew did they cover themselves and slowly tremble into sleep on the fresh forest dirt. The weak shimmers of the sun's orange rays warmed the stains of skin that didn't get heated up by the warmth of a good friend's body. Joseph and Link both smiled whenever they felt the soft, warm skin of their farmer friends – and both, Cremia and Romani, never had slept better before – particularly after such intense, exhausting events.

Neither the bird's chirps, nor the rustling of the tall tree's leaves could wake them up – until an ominous bang started them up from their sleep.

* * *

**Part II**  
Rancher Forest – Unknown time of day

* * *

"Oh my!" startled Cremia, who had slept face on face onto Joseph, who wasn't the only one that woke up due to the lightning strike-like thunder. Full of shock and life-dreading did Anju, Cremia, Gorman, Joseph, Kafei, Link, Nazran and Romani look towards the sound's origin.

"W-What was that!?" asked Anju carefully. She stood up but Link quickly dragged her down again.

"Heads down!" he ordered – with good reason. A couple of seconds after resounded a jarring noise above the treetops – as loud as a hooting train that dashed past you with two-hundred kilometers per hour. A few minutes later – after calming down a bit – Cremia and Romani stood up and sneaked back towards their ranch – and their friends followed to see the view of destroyed hopes.

With sparking air blazed the ranch-sister's house and its barn fiercely – and the grassland ten meters surrounding it. Debris of planks and bricks lay scattered around in the grasslands and aided the inferno to spread out. The buildings that the ancestors of the Romanis built up were destroyed – not to mention what happened to the animals. The waterfall of tears that flowed down Cremia's and Romani's cheeks alone would probably have been enough to extinguish the firestorm – but the two sisters got visited by an unusual, more than uninvited guest.

With the speed of an Eurofighter and twice the size of the giant beast that Romani, Link and Nazran had defeated before landed one of the drones near the building and revealed its true nature. Its massive body got held by six thick legs, twice the thickness of the 'oversized ladybug' that left behind a small crater, wherever the pointy leg stomped into the ground. Two broad and massive wings that glowed in a bright indigo-blue fold up its muscular, armored body that held a small head with the same black eyes, the same claws and the same hunger as the beast before. It turned around and threw away the barn's remaining debris to nibble the shreds of Cremia's burnt cows.

"C-Come, Cremia. We must go" said Kafei and turned Cremia around to sneak back into the forest – and so did Link to Romani. "Romani, come" he said. "It's not safe here" he said.

After a completely taciturn escape further inside the forest only Cremia's and Romani's sobbing along with the bird's chirps broke a complete silence – until Link, the most silent one, ended the absence of words.

"I have never seen such a strange and powerful creature before–"

"My father taught me the peoples of Termina and its great diversity – and also of all dangerous animals … but this is just ..." explained Kafei.

"They're not from Termina ..." commented Joseph. "They use technology."

"What do you mean?" asked Anju Joseph.

"I live in Termina for about a month now. This place is … kind of medieval and magical – but not technological. Not even the people where I come from know such powerful and … unusual technology. It's like that they're from …" Joseph explained while remembering the upside-down buildings he'd seen above Clock-Town.

"... another world" finished Link. Both, the Grasshopper's and the Blueberry's minds felt an overcome of a sudden clarity that explained not only the invader's origin.

"And so am I ..." added Joseph – and also spoke out the thoughts of Link. The foreign lands of Europe and Hyrule were probably more far away than they'd ever thought.

"_B-But all of this … it is just virtual … or is it?"_ thought Joseph. _"This is … impossible!"_

"Is everything okay, Joseph? And you, Link?" carefully asked Kafei.

Joseph's mouth remained silent. Instead of him spoke Link for both: "I'm okay. Just a bit – confused. Whatever, we–"

His words got interrupted by another jarring noise that whizzed past, causing the Union of the Romani Ranch to shut their mouths until they arrived at the border between the Rancher Forest and Milk-Road again.

"There ahead lies the Darkwood forest" said Gorman.

"Oh no. My apprehension seems to be true" spoke Nazran as she looked towards the dead beast that slowly rotted.

"But Romani is totally sure that Grasshopper has killed it to death" responded Romani.

"It's not the beast" explained Nazran – and pointed towards the sky. "Look at the sun."

"Well?" asked Romani.

"The sun is setting, not rising!"

"So this means we'll have to go through a dark Darkwood Forest?" feared Anju.

"Uh, did I mention that I slowly get an aversion for dark forests and spiders?" replied Joseph.

"Then light your torch, mister Blueberry" joked Cremia, who had slightly recovered from the previous shock.

"I would also like to light a cigarette now. Too bad I'm a non-smoker" he joked back.

After the Union climbed down the hill between the Romani Forest and Milk Road and quickly up to the border of the Darkwood Forest, drew Link his sword and Nazran one of her sabers along with a torch, readied Romani her bow and one of her arrows, Anju, Cremia and Kafei drew their kitchen knifes, Joseph readied his dagger and lit a torch for Nazran and himself. Only Gorman, the one, who leads the eight, remained unarmed until Link gifted him his dagger.

Without a second of hesitation went the eight into the forest, where the last rays of sunlight beamed from right to left through the tall roots of the dense forest.

* * *

**Part III**  
Darkwood-Forest – After dusk

* * *

Thanks to the improvised torches was the view slightly better when the eight trudged through the mossy forest. Fortunately it didn't rain – but the dense cloud ceiling let Kafei, Link and Nazran fear of every single raindrop that could come down. Through the darkness stung the sweet scent of licorice and the bitter smell of the ten meter tall tree's leafs.

Carefully tip-toed the Union through the eerie forest – step by step. Neither too fast because they could make alarming noises with fast movements, nor to slow because maybe something had them already in its sights, somewhere, ready to strike for plenty of easy meat.

"I hope you know where you're going, Ross" whispered Kafei to Gorman.

"I always know where to go … mostly" he replied. "Trust me, open your eyes and never stop walking and you'll see my hideout within the blink of an eye."

Anju still had doubts – and worries. She moved to her lovely husband and whispered into his long ear: "Honey, I-I'm not sure. What if – what if he's guiding us into a trap?"

Before Kafei, who heavily doubted that Gorman would harm him and his friends, could open his mouth, turned Gorman around and replied slightly aggressive: "I am not guiding you into a trap! I-I know my brother and I have done bad things before … but what use do I have in harming you!?"

The man with the gigantic mustache and the bat eyes was right. There wouldn't have been one single advantage in harming the Romanis or their friends. Quite the contrary, he would be alone – with not a single ally at all. Only well corporation instead of emotionally-driven enmity was the only thing that could spare the two redheaded ranchers, the young hero of time, the foreign electrical engineer, the mysterious Gerudo warrior, the once thieving horse-rancher and Clock-Town's married couple from death. The Union of the Romani-Ranch had no other option to trust Gorman and follow him through the frightening forest full of possible threats beneath the treetops – not to mention the drones above them.

The carrier of the torches, Nazran and Joseph, both had to be careful to not extinguish the fire by too fast movements.

"I wish my phone had more battery power, or Termina a hydroelectric power plant. That torchlight is so weak …" said Joseph.

"What's wrong, Blueberry?" asked Romani.

"My damn phone battery is almost empty. I want to save that for when we really need it" answered Joseph.

"What's a battery?" asked Romani.

"Oh, uhm …" he began and thought how he could explain his technology to his primitive friends. "A battery is a device where I can store the – power to make light."

"But what is this power to make light?" asked Romani.

"It's called electricity. With it we can make light, listen to music, cook, have warm water and what not. This kind of magic is stored in a small … pot in my phone – and this pot is now empty. It's also the same kind of energy that those flying things or that beast use against us – at least I think it is."

"Do they also cook with phones?"

"Not really … maybe … probably ..." he joked back. "To be more correct do th–"

"What was that?!" asked Nazran suddenly and interrupted Joseph in finishing his sentence … but she had good reasons for doing so. She wildly looked around and lit every corner with her torch.

"What's wrong?" asked Link, who felt his heart in his throat.

"A branch just fell down to my left" she explained. Everyone looked around and scanned the forest for possible dangers – everyone except Joseph. He gulped and with widely opened eyes he prepared for the worst.

"We're so dead …" he whispered before he said loud and clearly: "Everyone listens! A Skulltula is nearby!"

Link also knew what a falling branch means. "Everyone get ready and prepare for assault!" he commanded.

Nobody questioned his command. Link's and Joseph's eyes were evidence enough that they knew what will come next. Even with the torchlight was the forest as dark as the author's humor – so spotting a car-sized spider was almost impossible. But the skullfaced killer didn't have to be spotted...

"Aaaaah!" screamed Anju almost as loud as Cremia. In front of the two women jumped down the giant spider beast with its eight hairy legs, its white skull-shaped torso and its clattering maw – causing the ground to shake and hearts to stop beating. Anju and Cremia stood there in paralyze while Link, Kafei and Nazran attacked it with their melee weapons and while Romani shot at it with her long-range weapon. Joseph and Gorman quickly pulled Cremia and Anju backwards to get them out of danger. Both defended the women with a torch and two daggers in case the offensive of the rest should fail.

Link quickly swung his sword from up to down and hit the Skulltula's rock-hard head – but it repelled like it did with the other beast before.  
Nazran attacked the leg of the beast and fortunately her blade could cut it – but that provoked the Skulltula to wildly brandish around with its two front legs – hitting Nazran's and Kafei's torso violently.  
Romani hit the beast with her arrows four times, whereof two arrows got stuck in the stomach region and two repelled onto the skull-back. Nazran hit another leg on the beast's left side.

"It's weakened! Run, now!" shouted Nazran.

"Can't we defeat it?" quickly asked Romani.

"No. It's too close! Running would be the better option."

Nazran already ran and without her help defeating it would be way too hard. Everyone focused all of his or her power into the legs and ran as fast as the wind – while the Skulltula screamed and hobbled after them with a noticeable speed.

A couple of exhausting minutes of running later the eight were already deep in the forest, where the wood scented more intense, the roots got taller and denser and–

"Woah!" gasped Romani and nearly fell down a deep chasm in the ground. Joseph ran to her and caught her before she felt down the same fissure over which he had already jumped before. With enough speed everyone else had already jumped over it but Romani and Joseph hesitated and were still on the other side.  
"That was too close! Now hurrrr–" gasped Joseph before the ground onto which he and Romani had stood collapsed and cause both to fall down the seamlessly endless chasm.

Joseph violently landed on the ground and felt the same pain when he'd slipped down the roof in the Gerudo fortress. The fall was longer, the ground was softer but the pain was the same. Fortunately Romani landed soft – because she landed on Joseph. Fortunately for both did the mud and the leafs slightly absorb the reason for potential bone breaks.

"Ouch … bugger me that hurt!" cursed Joseph and tried to stand up again.

"Argh … ugh … oh no! B-Blueberry … are you alright?" asked Romani and rolled down of Joseph's back.

"Ouch … I'm not sure – if I'm already dead. If I'm still alive, I'll be dead soon though" replied Joseph.

"Romani is okay – she guesses. Only dirty but not hurty."

The fissure was so dark, Romani and Joseph could barely see each other. Joseph, full of hope that his second torch didn't get soaked by mud, tried to light it and succeeded. He and his young friend looked around and upwards. No option to climb back up again – but a few friendly faces.

"Oh my! Romani! Joseph! Are you hurt!?" asked Cremia down from the fissure-edge.

"Are you hurt?" asked Link, who stood next to Cremia.

Anju didn't say anything and only looked in a shocked expression. Kafei tried to search something helpful for Romani and Joseph to climb up the deep fissure again.  
Nazran and Gorman in the meanwhile watched for the Skulltula and protected the Union at all cost.

Will Redleaf and Blueberry escape the fissure?  
What about the Skullfaced Killer that still chases the Fellowship?  
And what's that strange wind that blows from Romani's left side?

* * *

_(By the way I'm not arachnophobic ;). I actually like spiders – like the one that's sleeping peacefully between my bookshelves right now.)_


	13. Stairway into the Darkness

_**Note from the Author: **Hey there! :) It's about time for the next chapter!_  
_I highly recommend the following as you read the chapter: Go to YouTube, type "Turok 2 Seeds of Evil The Lair of the Blind Ones Theme" into the search field, play the first video, right click onto it and choose "loop". This soundtrack fits the atmosphere very well (at least in my opinion)._

_Have fun while reading and please leave some feedback behind. I'll soon start with my first real series of books and would therefore really appreciate feedback concerning my writing._  
_Sincerely, KorneliusPrisma._

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**{{{ Chapter 13 – Stairway to the Darkness }}}**

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Darkwood Forest – Early Night

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"Ugh … y-yes Cremia, we're okay I guess. Nobody's hurt – I guess" replied Joseph loud and clearly upwards to his friends.

"Romani is good, sis. Blueberry was a good pillar!" slightly chuckled Romani before she glimpsed to the mud-covered Joseph, who glanced back at her with eyes that asked "seriously?"  
He looked to the left and to the right, where weak light quickly turns into darkness between two walls of earth.

"I can't see a thing down there! You see any possibilities to climb up?" he asked. Even with the warming torch in his right hand the only thing his eyes could see were the crevice's dusty, root-covered and claustrophobic wall's. Looking upwards was generally a bad idea – several times fell smaller chunks of earth down onto Romani's and Joseph's heads and shoulders and covered both like a tree in calm, snowy winter nights. Nazran with her torch and Link with his good eyes scanned for possible escapes.

"Here!" exclaimed Link and pointed towards left. "There's a root. I think thick enough to carry you."

The young engineer and the even younger ranch archer both squeezed themselves through the narrow earth-corridor – and indeed hung down a moist root at a level with Joseph's head. After squeezing through did the gap also widen so that the problem of the, slowly increasing, claustrophobia vanished – but the ground became squashier and squashier. In fact stood both in mud so deep that all four feet vanished beneath the layer of liquid earth.

Romani, almost half as tall as Joseph, was the first one to try an escape out of the darkness. Joseph stuck the torch into the mud, grabbed her hips, lifted her up until she grabbed the root and step by step climbed she upwards, where earth rained down onto Joseph again. She had to grab the root strongly – otherwise she would easily have slipped. With each step were Cremia's and Link's hand more and more within reach until Romani finally–

"Oh no …" she gasped as she felt the root slowly slipping out of the wall.

"Carefully, Redleaf! Don't move. Just – stay – calm. Cremia and I will–"

"Aaah!" yelled Romani loudly after the rotten root completely slipped out of the earth – causing her to fall down back into the pure darkness. Joseph tried to catch her – but one of her feet got stuck in another rotten root, causing the path of her downfall to change in a way that she kicked Joseph's head with her other boot. So with her front she didn't land in Joseph's arms but in the puddle of mud.

"Oh my, Romani!" shouted Cremia down to her. With pumping pain in her chest stood her dirt-covered younger sister up again – supported by the help of Joseph. This attempt of climbing was maybe a bit too bold – even for the courageous young Redleaf. Taking a breath was hard – either because of the dirt in her mouth and her nostrils or because of the pumping pain in her chest – but she could squeeze a couple of words out of her mouth: "R-Romani's okay, sis. D-Don't wor–"

"Bloody calamity!" suddenly hollered Nazran. "The Skulltula, it's nearby! Gorman, where does the route go on? We must hurry!"

"I won't go anywhere without my sister!" yelled Cremia at Nazran, angrily but also fearfully. "By the goddesses won't I let–"

"Don't you understand that the Skulltula can't reach them? Unlike us!"

"I cannot let my sister die! She's so young, so naive, so … she's just a child!"

Kafei, Link, Nazran, Gorman and even Anju and Joseph felt how the ground shook more and more – and with every second passing by rustled the treetops more violently.

"This chasm is small enough to protect both from the Skulltula. Its claws can't reach down enough!"

"Cremia, I'll take care of her, promised!" shouted Joseph upwards, slightly nervous. "Nazran is right, I don't think it can reach down."

"No!" shouted Cremia at the top of her voice. "We _must_ get you and Romani up! There must be a way! There simply must be …"

"Too late!" interrupted Link, who saw the Skulltula jumping down to Cremia's right – who responded to the surprise with a deafening cry of fear. Link, Nazran and Kafei drew their weapons while Gorman and Anju quickly dragged the stubborn rancher backwards. Cremia let herself fall down near the chasm and stretched down her arm as deep as she could. Silent whimpers of pure despair expressed "My Romani" and "Joseph" out of Cremia's beautiful mouth, which got watered by her tears that fell down onto her little sisters' forehead. Unfortunately for Joseph and Romani did Cremia's body cause the downfall of an earth chunk, which landed directly onto the torch – causing its fire to extinguish beneath earth and mud.

"H-Hey, careful Cremia, don't fall down too!" spoke Kafei, who fought the gigantic, Skullfaced Killer alongside with Nazran and Link. Gorman and Anju used all of their power to tug Cremia out of any danger. She fended, but a short and final hug of Anju slowly let her calm down. Gorman went near the chasm and shouted his final words down to the dirt-covered duo.

"Josephicus and young Romani, listen! If you manage to survive and climb out somehow, look for a house made of red and gray stone bricks somewhere in this direction! But wait until daylight!"

As a final gift threw he down his improvised torch, which Joseph quickly caught before the cloth could get soaked by mud. A quick attack of Kafei scratched one of the giant spider's eyes, which then backed off for a second. This lucky strike opened the final opportunity to escape the monstrosity.

"Run, run, run!" commanded Nazran – and the group took mournful, yet swift to their heels.

Fortunately for the group did the Skulltula not follow them at first. There was something more interesting nearby that drew the attention of three of the monstrosity's eyes to it. Beneath it shivered another pile of meat. Easier meat, helpless meat, juicy meat.

The Skulltula's legs easily fit into the chasm – onto which walls they got a powerful grip. First one leg, then two, then three, then four – the other four remained on the surface. Luckily for the beast, but unluckily for Joseph's underpants, did also the beast's head fit easily into the chasm.

"_I-It c-can't reach me!"_ thought Joseph – but as he saw the clacking claws coming closer and closer he knew that this thought was based on pure naivety. He and Romani had never trembled more in life before – not even the forests run through by the chinook wind tremble more. The pure mortal fear from the skull's top down to the tiptoes overcame both as the beast slowly moved its focused head backwards to haul off for the final strike. There was a valid reason why both of their faces were pale as a skeleton: One single bite could separate even armored soldiers with ease into two single pieces. Romani and Joseph held hands as they gazed into the eyes of death itself before they surrendered and let their fates make its final move. Both whimpered, closed their eyes, moved a step backward and …

"Woa-aaaaaaah!" screamed both loudly … but – they did one second before the Skulltula even stroke. Not the deadly bite threw them into inky blackness, but the step backwards. The monstrosity bit into air and Romani and Joseph both stumbled, where they somersaulted backwards – but not just once and not even twice. They kept rolling and rolling with no end in sight. But – the chasm's free space was quite limited, even after both went into the puddle of mud, where the space already had greatly widened. Where is the wall? Where is it!? Or did the Skulltula hit and death feels like an eternal rollercoaster?

Those thoughts luckily appeared as wrong. No, death's not a never ending somersault. They finally stopped and got both left behind in a new land of confusion, a land of darkness and a land of mystery. A couple of minutes had passed by until Joseph and Romani finally could figure out where up and where bottom was – but that was it. Neither did they see their own hands in the pure blackness, nor each other – not to mention any possible danger that might surprise them for another time this black day. Using their other senses didn't help either. The scent of wet dirt and sweet wood, along with the feeling of coldness and the sound of gravel rolling down a path of stone were nothing new compared to the "surface".

Romani dazedly stood up and heard noises behind her. At first she could by no stretch of the imagination figure out what this noise was – but it was rhythmical and sounded like breathing, but more like a whimpering breath. "Ugh … Blueberry, i-is that you?" she asked. She found the answer after she heard how the noise's origin searched something in its pocket while whispering: "T-Turn on! P-Please!"

Romani became frightened when Joseph's face suddenly lighted up seemingly out of nowhere – and the scare got intensified by two loud beeps, resounding through the whole corridor.

"P-Please work ..." said Joseph while breathing heavily. After another second, much to Joseph's relief, the place of mystery was brightly lit by the small white piece in his trembling hands. The blazing flashlight ached in their eyes at first – but after a couple of seconds both got used to the white light.

"Low battery: Less than 5% remaining. Please charge" was the message on his phone's screen. Wherever Joseph and Romani were – with this small amount of battery-power they won't arrive safely at Gorman's hideout without extra help.

Both looked around while Joseph scanned the surroundings with his phone's light. Either the light slowly faded into more blackness, or it got reflected by the wet walls of stone, dirt and roots to their left and to their right. While slowly trying to calm down thought and planned Romani the best way to survive. As it seems were they trapped in a cave now. Going upwards was not an option – the Skulltula might have been waiting there, not to mention there was absolutely no way to climb up the chasm without risking the break of bones. She went a couple of steps towards the other direction – downwards instead upwards to be more exact – to check if this path was a dead end. But the light didn't follow. The light remained on its spot, it huddled on the ground and … wept. The carrier of light, Joseph, laid on the ground and … cried.

"B-Blueberry?" asked Romani carefully as she slowly kneed down next to him. "Are you hurt?"

For the first time in her life saw Romani the tears of a man. The weird and strange, yet kind and grateful friend of the Romani sisters – he despaired and lost his last sparks of hope to survive. Romani came closer and put her small, dirty hands behind his head to look into his wet eyes.

"I-I … I h-have such f-fear … t-this place … I … I will d-die …" he stammered hopelessly. Without hesitating hugged Romani Joseph as much as she could – and feeling the warmth of the young girl was as calming as Valerian dragées.

"Me too, Blueberry. Romani also has fear. But … Romani thinks that if we can survive pirates and firebirds, we'll come out of here too!"

"I … I w-want to go h-home, Romani. Not a m-minute more of this g-gruesome place called Termina! I miss my family, my school, my bed ..."

Romani took Joseph's torch and tinder and tried several times to ignite its cloth. "And so does Romani…"

Unfortunately for both did Joseph's phone beep for another time – and its light disappeared within a blink of an eye, leaving both in pure darkness once again. But Romani didn't give up. Strike by strike flew the sparks towards the torch until a flame finally warmed their skin again. Joseph calmed himself within the minutes Romani tried to make a fire. She was right. They survived several other dangers so far, so a crummy cave with confusing corridors, luring animals no one of them had ever seen and a limited amount of burnable objects, food and warmth cannot defeat them either – at least they thought so.

Both went deeper and deeper into the cave while the warm torch lighted the cave walls with its shimmering, weak orange light. The cave became warmer and warmer the deeper both went. Joseph took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"You're sure that this is the right way?" asked Joseph. "Shouldn't we go up instead of down?"

"Romani has a feeling that the monster still waits for us. Romani wants to search for another way."

Joseph sighed – and silence along with the distant sound of purling water dominated the space around both – until Romani broke the silence with an unusual question.

"Blueberry?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Well uh … do you like my sister?" she asked. Joseph became nervous. Why did she suddenly ask if Joseph likes Cremia? But Romani's mouth was still open: "And do you like Romani too?"

"Uhm … y-yes. Of course I do. Why do you ask?"

"Romani asks because – she … doesn't want you to leave Termina! She and sister wants you and Grasshopper to stay with us forever – I mean after we rebuilt the ranch. Romani and sis likes you both so much and–"

"Oh … I understand. Well, Romani – I like the ranch-life, but … but I miss my home. I really, really, _really_ don't want to stay in this place anymore – heck I don't even understand what this place is! For a game it just feels – purely insane, and with every hour I'm slowly going insane more and more here. It's not even feeling like I play the game, it feels more like – like I'm trapped in a bad Fanfiction of the game. Do you understand what I mean?"

Romani dropped her gaze after he confirmed his reluctance against Termina. "No, Romani doesn't understand why Blueberry says this is a game. Dancing Rancher is a game but this cave and Termina is not. And what is a fan fiction, Blueberry? Is it something like a game?"

"No its more like a story, where people write stuff about game characters like Link and you and your sister. Sometimes even creepy stuff…"

"There are – stories about me and my sister!?" she asked with surprise. "But who knows me? I know a few people know sis but Romani hasn't had company for years!"

"I'm not sure but I think so. You and your sister are quite beautiful, so most likely there are a few stories about you."

"That's – weird somehow, but also funny, somehow."

"But this can't be a Fanfiction. Otherwise it must mean that I'm also not real!" explained Joseph.

"Aren't those fictions about real people? Because Romani is real!"

"Somehow you are, but somehow you aren't. I've never played Majora's Mask but I think you're in the game like your sister and all the others."

"But me and sister are real and not a game! Has Romani's boot hit Blueberry so hard that he talks such weird nonsense?"

"I'm – just confused, Romani. I can see you, I can smell you, I can touch you – but actually you can't be real. All of this is just confusing. This can't be a game, a movie, a book or a Fanfiction – it just feels so real. But I can't figure out how–

"Blueberry, please be quiet! I've heard something" she suddenly interrupted and both immediately silenced. Romani readied another arrow for her bow while Joseph carefully scanned the area with the torch.

What did Romani hear? Both remained silent for a couple of seconds until they heard a – grunt?  
After the grunt followed another sound – something like wood that hit the rocky floor.  
A third sound followed the other two sounds, this time it was clearly a hammer hitting wood – several times.

"This cave is like Minecraft – but without respawning. Like a hard mode" whispered Joseph.

"What did you say, Blueberry?" asked Romani.

"Uhm, not so important – what was that weird grunt?"

"Romani guesses we should find out."

Both sneaked further into the cave, where the corridor slowly got brighter. _"Light?!"_ asked Joseph himself. His and Romani's greatest hope was that they'd reached the surface – but their assumption was wrong. There was a junction in the cave-corridor on the right side, where the light had originated. Romani and Joseph both sneaked to the junction to take a look around the corner.

"What in the name of Nayru is that?!" whispered Romani as silent as possible. Both couldn't believe their eyes anymore. Around the corner was a huge cave-system. Big constructions made out of wood soared along the cave-walls and several huts, made out of wood, dirt and leafs got lighted by a huge bonfire in the center. Between the houses wandered plenty of strange, grunting and sometimes even armored creatures around and shared grunts, goods and dead animals. Even with the huge bonfire in the center were Romani and Joseph not able to completely figure out how they looked like – but what they saw was already enough. Humanoid, small creatures with a pointy head, big feet and hands and only one big eye. A pig-like nose and blue-greenish skin that sometimes got veiled by external pieces of leather and fur.

"I have a bad feeling about this …" whispered Joseph to Romani, who responded with:  
"Yes, I think we won't be welcome here …"

Both whispered to each other as silent as possible. Romani could hear well and Joseph as well, even though his ears got weakened by hearing loud music over the years. Both tried to sneak past them and hopefully towards the exit – but what they saw on the other side did particularly change Joseph's view.


	14. The Hideout

_**_**Note from the Author: **_**___Hey there. It has been a while since the last upload, but please let me explain: Since the beginning of October I summarized all ideas concerning my first book – called: „Die Legende des Kosmischen Tors" (German for :The Legend of the Cosmic Gate) __

__In November I've started to refine the details concerning the ten intelligent peoples, all other kinds of fauna and flora, the whole vegetation alongside with the huge map, civilizations, religions, culture, technology, etc., etc. Heck even the whole characters are replaced with other ones and the plot has changed greatly as well. __

__Whenever I'll get the chance to translate it into English, you won't recognize that all of this had begun with this story … and with you! Yes, you. But enough babbling for now. What you'll read now below these lines is everything I've written for the FanFiction since October. It isn't very much but as you can see there's a valid reason for it.__

* * *

****{{{ Chapter 14 – The Hideout }}}****

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Darkwood Forest – Midnight

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"*cough* … my … *cough* … my feet – ouch!" gasped Anju with legs, feet and toes that blazed like a smithy's red-hot iron. Why did she have to wear only such tiny casual footwear? The others wore boots – except for Nazran, who also wore the Gerudo's unconventional, small and pointy shoes. Shoes like ballet slippers.

It was too much for Anju. She had to stop – otherwise her legs would have burned up. The other ones – Cremia, Kafei, Gorman, Nazran and Link also stopped, much because of a side stitch that felt like a whole army of bees shooting their stings from aside.

"I think … *smack* … I think it has lost us – at least for a couple of minutes ..." gasped Link loudly as he caught his breath again. Much to Link's and Nazran's allies' wonder did they not understand how fast they were in regaining their breath and old strength.

"Ross?" coughed Kafei. "How far is it to your house again?"

"I greatly hope I didn't turn wrong at some point … *smack and cough* … but I highly believe it's over there!" he explained.

"If you turned wrong, we'll be the ones biting and eating you!" joked Nazran with a serious undertone.

Even with blazing bottoms and oxygen-hungry lungs knew the six that in every corner of the corner could lure the death from above, so with a swift tempo went they closer towards the black hill of earth. Step by step climbed they up past the omnious, tall trees that seemed to gaze into the six' eyes.

"Red and gray bricks you said?" asked Link towards Gorman's direction.

"And a pointy roof with black planks" he added.

"If it's that one," Link replied and pointed towards something in the darkness, "then I highly doubt you're not some kind of witcher…"

No one except for Link seemed to see something behind the darkness that was behind the weak yet blinding shimmers of the torches' fires. But with every step they went closer to the place where Link had pointed his finger not a feeling of safety had returned to them – but fear. The blood-red and slate-gray bricks weren't frightening at all. Almost all buildings in Clock-Town used those bricks. More the fact that the triangular windows, the rotten door of wood and the spiderweb-covered roof alongside with its red chimney looked indeed a lot like a hut for isolated witches. Why did the two horse farmers own such a haunted shack? Gorman went towards a barrel, completely overfilled with water, onto which surface leafs had swum. He lifted the barrel and grabbed for a bronze key hidden beneath it.

"This is your hideout?" asked Cremia, surprised and afraid at the same time.

"Yeah, Miss Cremia. Thanks to the three goddesses we've made it. Please, feel free to feel save!" he responded as he turned the key in the rusty lock. "By the way … thank you, Miss Cremia…"

"Uhm … y-you're welcome, I guess?" was her confused answer. Why in the sudden did Gorman thank her when all six slowly went towards the dark room?

"Thank you … for trusting me. I-I mean after all our tensions in the past – we've had. This is–"

Over Cremia's face came a quick smile. "It's alright – I think we all can welcome help in the darkest hours of life."

Inside the hut Gorman quickly threw a couple of logs into a tiny oven in the corner and asked Nazran for her torch. With the tiny flames slowly growing bigger the interior also flickered with orange light. Like the Romani Ranch stood a round table in the center of the room. Beside the table, to its left and right, waited two small beds with itchy blankets to be used. Near the oven stood black shelters and reached up to the already low ceiling. A ladder next to the shelf was connected with a trap door in the ceiling, maybe hiding the highly desired resources of survival. Only two small tree stubs in another corner of the room waited to be used as chairs.

Gorman used the oven to light two thick candles, which he'd carefully put onto the table.

"Alright, please listen up. We've food and maybe even medicine here – and we're secure for a couple of days. But we'll need a new destination as soon as possible" he explained. But after his words sounded the sound of silence. Kafei lay into one bed, Link and Nazran sat down onto the cold and hard ground, Gorman went to sleep in the second bed while Cremia and Anju sat down onto the two tree stumps. Within the minutes of pure silence that only got interrupted by the rustling of the firewood all six recovered from the great escape they'd succeeded. Unfortunately not all of them had succeeded, so those in need of an angel required aid.

"Din, I pray to you, please give Romani and Joseph enough power to withstand the forces of evil.  
Farore, I pray to you, please give Romani and Joseph enough courage to stand the tests of fear.  
Nayru, I pray to you, please give Romani and Joseph enough wisdom to find the path, where no man ever went.  
Almighty goddesses – p-please hear my words – please don't let my sister and my friend fall …" prayed Cremia with whispers and silent tears – but Cremia didn't seem to be the only one praying.

Right next beside her sat Anju with her cold hand on her chest and stared into the candle's flames with empty eyes that never seemed to blink. Unusual for the young maid, who actually blinks more than all the others together.


	15. The Cave of the Blind Hunters

_**Notes from the Author: **__Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. And you're right. I actually did say, that the previous chapter "The Hideout" might be the last chapter due to a lack of feedback and interest in finishing the FanFiction – I didn't forget that. _

_And I actually didn't change my mind now and most likely won't I finish the FanFiction – but I decided to, at least, reupload all of the old chapters that I've had deleted before I'd started the rework. The old version of "The Cosmic Gate" contained about 179,000 Words and you would surely miss a lot of my work when I simply kept those chapters for me. _

_I'll reupload one of the old chapters every one or two days by simply correcting the biggest mistakes of grammar, spelling and plot up to the point where the story got interrupted in the mountains of Termina. Only mistakes will be fixed – the rest stays the same. This means that my old style of writing won't be changed to my recent style and no new plot-ideas will be implemented. _

_Anyways, please enjoy and listen as I will continue reading The Tale of the Cosmic Gate to you ;).__  
Sincerely, KorneliusPrisma_

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**{{{ Chapter 15: The Cave of the Blind Hunters }}}**

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Deep beneath the surface of Darkwood-Forest – Midnight

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"Okay, listen up Romani. I really really **really** do not think that it would be a good idea to attract their attention right now …" said Joseph to Romani, who nodded back at his suggestion. Romani still looked in a quite shocked mien and answered Joseph with: "Understood, Blueberry. We really shouldn't be here …"

Joseph looked around with his torch and saw that the junction also leads to another cave-path. Hopefully for both this new way will guide them to a more joyful place. Both looked around to be sure that no one was behind them. The young redheaded rancher and the adolescent European engineer observed the strange creatures that walked around in their huge hidden village. After about four minutes of careful observation, nobody looked to their direction or was close to them. It was about time to escape the earth-smelling cave. Our heroes took to their heels and ran as fast, yet as silent as possible to the other side of the junction. Both stopped for a short moment, just to be sure that no one had noticed them – and thanks heaven nobody did.

"Whew! That was too close. Now let's move on – and hope for an exit" gasped Joseph.  
Both sneaked through the cave system again in the hope to find a way out. But after another hour of sneaking and being careful step by step, they saw nothing but a stony and dirty cave-wall, spider-webs and sometimes even a red-eyed bat.  
"This cave is bigger than Romani has expected…" whispered Romani to Joseph, who walked in front of her, while he held and lit his last torch.  
"True that, Romani" Joseph replied. _"Seriously, where is my diamond pickaxe when I need it the most?" _He thought.

While Joseph ignited the torch with tinder from Anju, they heard noises. Grunts again – and their origin was directly around the corner. After Joseph's torch lighted the cave-walls with its warm, orange light again, Romani and Joseph looked at each other – with fearful eyes. Both immediately knew what to do …

Sneaking and hiding would be the best option right now. Fighting might be too dangerous. Both were exhausted and hungry like the rest of the Union. But unlike them, they had no option to rest right now. If they would, they would be easy meat for the hunters.  
Maybe those creatures were also good fighters. Both knew that a fight would've been way to risky. Hiding seemed to be the best option … but where?

Romani looked around – and fortunately her well eyes spotted something.  
"Blueberry, follow me!" she whispered and both sneaked towards a small cave-niche, which was hidden in the dark at first. But this path was a dead end just around the corner. The situation was dangerous. There was no other path that both could pass right now. If they go back, they risk to land in the hidden underground village. If they go towards them, they might die by a fight.  
Maybe if they hid long enough in the niche, those odd creatures won't find them.  
But Joseph still held his torch and it lighted the dark corner, so if they pass, they might see them. But extinguishing the torch wouldn't be a good idea either, because it was their last torch – and the cave is completely impassable without any light.

Joseph threw the torch at their path and both hid in the corner. Romani readied an arrow and Joseph readied his bottle of dirty water. A few minutes passed by and the creatures showed themselves – two of them to be exact. As Joseph thought, they stopped walking and stood in front of the torch. Somehow they didn't look down to the torch, but they sniffed the air and moved their heads around. Didn't they notice the obvious fire?

Their actions confused Romani and Joseph. The fire was way too obvious to get overlooked, overheard or oversmelled.  
The odd hunters looked at each other and grunted intelligible noises to each other.  
Romani turned her head to Joseph, looked into his eyes and nodded. Soon both, Romani and Joseph, moved two steps out of the corner. Romani slowly aimed her bow at the hunter's head and released the arrow.

It hardly hit the head and caused the hunter to squeak loudly for a few seconds. The other hunter got nervous and didn't realize the seriousness of the situation at first. This surprise attack was way too fast for him and Joseph swung his bottle right at the other creature's head. It bursted and caused the second hunter to squeak even louder and longer than the other one. Unfortunately the other hunter didn't die fast enough and screamed loud enough to cause a very bad situation for both – the other hunters got alarmed. Romani quickly drew another arrow and rammed it into the hunter's heart until its screams silenced.

Both looked at each other and knew that shit just got serious. Several squeaking sounds could be heard from where the two came from. Angry and furious squeaks...

While looking at each other, Romani and Joseph gulped …  
"Romani?" asked Joseph.  
"Y-Yes, Blueberry?" asked Romani.  
"Run for your life! Now!" shouted Joseph and grabbed his torch again. After the two pig-like hunters were dead, Redleaf and Blueberry took to their heels again and ran as fast as they could through the dark and dangerous cave.


	16. Whispers

**{{{ Chapter 16: Whispers }}}**

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Deep beneath the surface of Darkwood-Forest – Unknown Time

* * *

"Okay … that was the worst idea we've ever had!" exclaimed Joseph to Romani while they ran through the eerie cave.  
"True that, Blueberry! But now there is no time to waste …"  
The grunts and squeaks came closer to the tired, yet courageous refugees – but only with an interval because after Romani and Joseph immediately focused all of their power into their legs again, the sounds of their possible death silenced again – fortunately.

Both ran as fast as they could. Well, actually Romani wasn't running as fast as she could. If she did, she would overtake Joseph in within a few seconds. She was quite short compared to Cremia and Joseph, but still able to overtake any adult easily.  
Overtaking Joseph wouldn't be a good idea anyways, because he held the torch and lighted the way through the warm and earthy-smelling cave and through its eternal darkness.

"Oh no … " whispered Joseph while he and his short ally stood in front of another cave-junction. Fortunately they didn't hear any squeaking or grunting, which means they were save for a couple of seconds. But it was definitely not the right time to sit down and rest their hurting feet.  
"Left or right? Left or right? Left or right? …" asked Romani hectically and nervously and made Joseph nervous as hectic as well. Every wrong decision would have guided them into death, so they had to think and choose wisely – wisely but fast.  
The left path had a couple of spider-webs on the wall and the walls of the right path were supported by a thick frame made out of wood.  
"To the left!" decided Joseph and went through the spider-web cave. After thirty seconds of running the cave-path was even closed by a big spider web. Joseph swung his sharp bottle head to cut the web and both run again.

Step by step ran Redleaf and Blueberry through the spider-overpopulated, dark cave and reached a huge cave-hall – probably as huge as the cave that contained the village of the hunters, but this time the cave didn't have a village, but gigantic spider webs instead.

"Blueberry, I d-don't think it is a good idea to be here …" said Romani fearfully to Joseph, who gulped as he lighted the cave with his torch. This cave was big and full of webs, but just to be sure: Was there something else too?  
Joseph and Romani turned around together and lighted the edges of the cave.  
The engineer raised his eyebrows after he saw something in the corner. It looked like … stones, but somehow they were red on top, white at the center and black at the bottom. Strange stones … wait a minute … "stones"?

Both looked at each other with confused eyes. They gulped and dared to look around with the torch again. But maybe this was not their best idea. As they walked two meters through the darkness past the "stones" … they saw it.  
A huge spider-like beast, much larger than the one that chased the Union through the Darkwood-Forest, slept next to those ominous "stones". It moved slightly, so it was alive – unfortunately.  
Now it was clear: The "stones" weren't stones at all; they were eggs! The skullfaced killer was a mother and it had been sleeping next to her eggs … **had**.  
It moved its eight legs and opened its eyes while it slowly stood up. Romani and Joseph both looked at each other with eyes that reflected the fear of death.

"O-Okay right, it's really not a good idea to be here!" said Joseph calmly … and both began to run immediately – back to the junction where they originally came from.  
The beast released a loud scream because some unwelcome intruders tried to hurt her unborn babies, well, at least within its perspective.  
The beast chased Romani and Joseph through the spider cave … and nearly caught Joseph, but fortunately the beast was too big to go through the small cave.  
He turned back to the beast, which was stuck in the cave as it tried to catch him, and he said: "You … shall … not … pass!" while giving it the finger.  
"Blueberry" shouted Romani. "Don't be stupid now! There is no time to waste, so run!"

As Romani and Joseph arrived back at the junction, they already heard grunting and squeaking from the path where they originally came from … and this time the sounds were louder than before.  
Either they run back to the big spider, or they run straight into the hunters' arms. The only option was the cave with the wooden frames. They took a deep breath and ran towards it.  
After a couple of minutes of even more running, the young heroes arrived in another big cave…

This time the cave was free of spider webs, but they saw the village again. A lot of houses, made out of wood and leafs, plenty of hunters and the village was lighted by fireplaces at some points. But this time the fortune was on Romani's and Joseph's side: The village was beneath them. The two didn't run through the village itself but on a big bridge, made out of stone and supported by a couple of wooden frames. The view was both, amazing and scary at the same time. The grunting from behind became louder and louder…

They ran as fast as they could across the improvised bridge and …  
"Whoa! Damn! That was close!" whispered Joseph. An arrow nearly hit his head – and would definitely have killed him if it hit. The hunters were after them and shot at Joseph and Romani. Striking back was no option for the exhausted young heroes.  
Now it was another time to focus all their power into their legs again. They crossed the big bridge deep beneath the surface of Termina into another cave-system.

Another couple of minutes passed as they ran through the tiny cave-system. This cave had a lot of brown mushrooms on its walls, and fortunately no spider webs.  
"Oh no, not again. Where should be go now?!" asked Romani after they arrived at another cave-junction. This time the junction was even worse because it had three possible ways to go … and every cave looked exactly the same.  
Luckily the grunting was gone. But even though the cave was silent and our heroes only heard their own heart beating and their own heavy breathing, there was no time to waste!  
"I am … so exhausted … and every wrong move … could mean death … I … I am too stumped for an answer" exhaled Joseph.

Romani and Joseph rested at the junction for about half a minute. While they couldn't decide where to go, one of the strangest things they could ever imagine happened to them.  
The young archer heard a voice … but it was not a grunting or a squeaking voice. It was a female voice … a daunting, yet beautiful and trustful voice. Romani turned her head to the left cave and focused her sense of hearing towards this cave, just to be sure her ears didn't get deceived before. Maybe the long ears of every Terminan citizen were better than ours? Well, maybe it was only her imagination and she…

"Come with me …" said the voice again. This was the evidence that Romani's long ears didn't lie to her.  
"Blueberry, this is the right cave!" she spoke to him. He was obviously confused. Why was she so sure about that?  
"Are you sure?" asked Joseph.  
"Didn't you hear her? Just over there!" she replied and pointed at the left cave.  
"I didn't hear anything. What do you m– … hey! Wait for me!"

"Follow me!" said the voice again.  
"Sister … is … is that you?" asked Romani. This voice sounded like the beautiful voice of Cremia, but this would be impossible. Cremia followed the other ones to Gorman's hideout before.  
"Okay, either we're following a ghost now, or we just went full retarded in this darkness…" whispered Joseph to himself as Romani guided him trough the dark cave.  
"Trust me, Joseph. I … somehow I can't explain it but I think I can trust **her** …" responded Romani to the doubtful Joseph. He immediately knew she was very serious. She rarely spoke in first person … and only did this in rare situations.

Romani and Joseph arrived at another junction with two possible paths again. Left or right? Life or doom? Light or Darkness?  
"Come with me!" said the voice again and Romani heard the voice from the left cave.  
"Quick Blueberry. It's this way!" said Romani and pointed left.  
"Where are we going, Romani?" asked Joseph.  
"A voice is telling me to follow. The voice sounds so familiar and calming to me … I can't explain …" answered Romani.  
_"What the fuck?"_ he thought. Even though Joseph was full of doubts, he had no other option to trust his little redheaded friend.

They arrived at a fourth junction … this time it had three paths again. Romani waited for a few seconds and focused her hearing while Joseph was catching his breath again.  
"To the Cosmic Gate!" said the voice and guided Romani through the path in the center.  
This time the cave was steep and our heroes had to climb a couple of times – until they finally did it!

They saw the forest, which was not creepy and dark anymore, because its trees and surface got kissed by the warming rays of the sun. Romani and Joseph were out of the cave of doom! Happiness overcame both. This means that they were safe again – and that they could see without a torch again – and finally rest for a few minutes!  
"What the? … How did you? … Oh my!" said Joseph, kneed down and hugged Romani, who smelled like sweat, earth and farm, strongly.  
"Romani told Blueberry to follow her, and we'll find out of the dark again …" answered Romani and smiled at Joseph.  
"Wow. I … I can't believe it we've survived that shit! That's amazing, Romani!" replied Joseph to her and both rested. They caught their breath again and calmed down their hurting legs for a few moments.

"Finally no darkness, spiders, weird hunting beasts or other things anymore. Now we have to find sis and friends" said Romani to Joseph. They were in the forest again and now they had to find Gorman and his hideout and the rest of the Fellowship. But they had no idea where it could be. The cave exit was somewhere else.

"By Farore! … Blueberry, look!" shouted Romani and scared Joseph with her sudden scream. She pointed at the forest and both couldn't believe their eyes anymore.  
They saw a person, maybe female … with white hair and a long, red dress standing in the forest … and she was glowing in a warm white light. Joseph shook his head because he denied the fact that this mysterious person even existed. It was scaring him to his bones.

"Please … follow me!" said the person in a calm voice … but this time both, Romani and Joseph could hear her voice. Romani recognized the voice … because it was the same voice that guided her out of the dark cave. After she spoke her words, she disappeared in less than one second.


	17. The Reunion

_**Notes from the Author: **__Alright, as promised here comes chapter 17 – including a entirely new cover image for this story! A more detailed overhaul of chapter 17 (only the biggest mistakes are fixed now), as well as the "new" chapter 18 comes tomorrow._

_Have fun while reading, see you tomorrow and please leave some feedback behind!_

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**{{{ Chapter 17 - The Reunion }}}**

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Inside Gorman's Hideout – Sunrise

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"Din … I pray … to you … give Romani and J-Joseph … power,  
F-Farore … I pray … you … please give Romani and Joseph … courage,  
Nayru … I p-pray … give R-Romani and Joseph w-wisdom!" prayed Cremia on the bed, which Gorman gave her before. She was extremely exhausted and barely able to speak … or to hold her tired eyes open. This exhaustion felt truly horrible to the pious rancher. Her feet were hurting, her head was pumping painfully and her heartbeat was fast and loud.  
Pain and exhaustion both were overwhelming, but this didn't keep her off to pray for the ones she loves.  
Sleeping? No option for Cremia in those bitter and dark times.

While she withstood the pain and prayed like she never did before, Anju already felt asleep on a chair. Before had Anju tried to comfort Cremia and convince her to sleep, but Anju failed and became sleepy by herself.  
Gorman and Kafei went to sleep after they ate Gorman's meal. They were way too tired to stay awake. Gorman slept in his own bed while Kafei built an improvised bed with blankets and pillows on the ground.

Link and Nazran gave their last power like Cremia and watched the entrance for any possible dangers, or possible guests. Both fell asleep sometimes – sitting on a chair and watching a door and small windows for several hours … this **must** exhaust anybody easily. Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath while Nazran stood up and walked around to prevent falling asleep as well. A walk, some cold water to drink and fresh oxygen – yes that helped and refreshed!  
She grabbed one of the glasses and put some water out of a wooden barrel. The Gorman gathered the water from the rain and put the barrel inside for drinking and washing.  
Drinking fresh and cold rain water helped her only a little bit to stay awake. So it was time to try something else. She put her hands in the barrel and washed her face with the cold water. That really helped a lot. After that she looked at the towel next to her and …

***knock knock knock*** … could be heard coming from the door. Nazran immediately opened her tired eyes and her heart began to beat. Who could it be? Romani and/or Joseph? Some bandits? A polite giant killer-spider who knocks before it attacks?  
She went to Link silently and shook him awake. Cremia stopped praying and stood up next to Nazran and Link as well. All six eyes of the three refugees looked at the wooden door with expectancy.  
"Somebody knocked. Get your sword ready, boy …" whispered Nazran to Link, who had overheard the knocking at first.  
Link readied his sword and Nazran readied her sabers.

Both slowly opened the squeaky door – until it was opened completely. In front of Link, Nazran and Cremia stood two people. One of them was tall and clearly male, while the other one was short and female – and both were dirty and tired as well. It was Joseph and Romani, who had finally reunited with the group. Cremia couldn't believe her eyes anymore. Romani and Joseph did it! They escaped the chasm together after running and running and especially fearing the death all the time ... and now they finally did it!

Cremia immediately ran to Romani and hugged her little sister, whose dress was covered in dirt, like she never did before.  
This lovely, warm and fuzzy hug and its feeling, which the ranch sisters shared each other in this beautiful moment of reunion, caused both, Cremia and Romani to release tears of joy. This one special moment, to see the sisters reuniting and hugging each other, was probably one of the most beautiful moments everyone could have imagined.  
Joseph got also hugged by Nazran and by Link. The hug caused him to smile. And while he smiled, he also fought against the exhaustion and he also tried to suppress his confusion from before.

"Romani … I-I'm so happy to see you … to see you alive … I love you so much, Romani … I have missed you!" said Cremia to her while she squeezed her little sister.  
"Romani missed sister too! And Romani loves sister too!"  
After about two minutes of hugging, Romani looked into the tired but happy eyes of her sister with her own tired and happy eyes.  
Cremia stood up and she hugged Joseph nearly as much as she did with Romani. As mentioned earlier: The hugs from the ranch sisters had something special on them. Joseph felt warm and fuzzy inside and his heartbeat became faster. Joseph put his arms around Cremia as well and smiled to enjoy this moment of care.

"Thank you" were the only two words that came out of Cremia's mouth.  
"As I promised you: I will protect her … and Romani protected me too …" answered Joseph.  
"Thank you … for bringing my Romani back to me. Thank … you … so … mu …" replied Cremia … but she didn't finish her sentence. She collapsed in Joseph's arms. Fortunately he held her, otherwise both would have fallen to the floor together.  
"Sister! No!" shouted Romani and she grabbed one of her hands. What happened to her? Was Cremia … suddenly dead?  
"Whoa. What the …?" asked Joseph himself … but he didn't question any further and immediately held Cremia like he did with her earlier – and laid her into her bed.

"What's wrong with my sis?" asked Romani.  
Both looked at Cremia, who lay in her bed with closed eyes and an open mouth. Joseph held his hand in front of her open mouth and he checked her pulse.  
"She lost her consciousness … I guess …" answered Joseph.  
"But why?" asked Romani.  
"Well … I think … uhm … maybe she was … or … uhm … okay, I have no idea" answered Joseph.  
After a few seconds Nazran went next to Joseph and Romani and said to them:  
"Cremia prayed the whole night for you. She was a nervous wreck. Anju tried everything to get her to sleep, but Cremia insisted to pray…"

"We are all exhausted. I guess we should follow the rest to the land of dreams" said Nazran and looked at the two sleeping Doutours.  
"True that! We should sleep now. So much excitement and pain in just two days without resting for a few seconds, I am wondering that we are still alive" said Joseph and the rest nodded.  
Romani slept next to her sister and cuddled with her. It didn't last for long and Romani felt asleep. The warm body and the heartbeat of Cremia, together with the soft bed, calmed her.  
Nazran and Link both slept on the chair again after they sat down. Finally Romani and Joseph were here, so they didn't have to watch out for them anymore.  
Joseph looked around and, unfortunately, no sleeping place was available anymore, well except for the carpet. Since he's been living in Termina got Joseph already used to sleep on hard surfaces.

Hours and hours passed by as the eight refugees, namely Anju, Cremia, Gorman, Joseph, Kafei, Link, Nazran and Romani, recovered in Gorman's hideout in, more or less, comfortable sleeping positions. Finally they arrived at a safe place to plan their next steps.  
But even though they are quite save now, let's not forget that there is still a big portal-like, light-blue, cloud-vortex over the ruins of Clock-Town.  
Let's not forget that there are flying objects all over Termina, which Joseph recognized as "some sort of spider in a mechanical suit" and which can shoot devastating projectiles.  
Let's not forget that they nearly got killed by another weird beast with six legs, dark armor and purple-shining surfaces in Milk-Road before.

It is still not clear who this new unknown enemy is and how our heroes can defeat them. Who are those drones and those six-legged beasts? And why are they here and destroy everything without a visible reason?

It is still not clear how Joseph came into Termina. Is all of this even reality or is it just fantasy? Is it a dream or is it just some kind of virtual technology?

It's also still not clear, who this mysterious person was, who guided Romani and Joseph through the cave and who asked them to "follow her to the Cosmic Gate". Is it one of the three goddesses, who heard Cremia's praying? Is it a ghost, who was trapped in the cave? Is it a human or is it just another one of Termina's fantastic creatures?

Tons and tons of questions and all of them are waiting to get solved … sometime … somewhere…

"Ugh … ouch … what the?" asked Joseph, while he still lay on the ground and felt a gentle shake again. As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw Anju kneeing next to him. After he looked into her eyes, she held her cheeks and said: "He's alive!" to the rest of the group, who was already awake.  
Joseph sat down on the carpet on which he'd slept this night and looked around.  
Gorman and Kafei were preparing food while Cremia cuddled with Romani in their bed and while Link and Anju kneed next to Joseph and while Nazran looked at a map on a table.

"Of course I'm alive! I might look like a dirty corpse, but I am alive – hopefully…" responded Joseph and laughed together with the rest.  
It was done … the group was reunited … and ready to plan their next steps.  
Joseph stood up and felt plenty of pain in his back. Sleeping on the hard ground was probably not the best idea.

While everyone ate "breakfast" and they realized it's almost sunset again, they shared their experiences. Romani was really excited to tell her family and friends about what they saw deep beneath the surface of the Darkwood-Forest. She spoke about the giant spiders, about the darkness, about the villages and the strange creatures that followed them and even about the voice that guide them out of the cave.

"Little Romani and Josephicus! Are you crazy!? You … you really were in the Cave of the Blind Hunters!? N-No one has ever survived in there. How is it possible that you are alive?" asked Gorman while they sat together on the table.  
"The Blind Hunters? Hmmm … that would explain why they didn't look down the torch I threw at them, or why they missed me with their arrows …" answered Joseph.  
"The Hunters are blind indeed … but they use their other senses so well. They can smell you from afar … they can hear your heart beating … they can even feel the slightest tremor of the ground. They are still dangerous …" said Gorman.  
"Bullshit-Meter has just exploded! Why didn't they spot us then?" asked Joseph cheeky.

While they shared experiences, Nazran asked them to come to her. Everyone stood up and went next to her. Nazran was looking at a big map of Termina and planned. Gerudo were good in planning things via maps – bout seventy-five percent of their planned raids were working.  
"Gorman, where exactly are we?" asked Nazran.  
"We're here" said Gorman and pointed at the south-eastern side of the Darkwood-Forest.  
"So we're about … between the Swamp-Shooting Gallery and the Woods of Mystery?"  
"Yes. The Woods of Mystery are not far away. Just a bit more to the south and we would arrive at the Magic Hag's Potion Shop."

"Good to know. What exactly are we doing now? I mean we're safe for now, but we still have to do something against those weird flying- and non-flying beasts" said Link to Nazran and Gorman, who agreed with him.  
"They seem to be technologically advanced, so fighting them with our ridiculous weapons won't fight them. There must be another way, but how?" said Joseph.  
"Who are they anyways? I mean I have seen a lot of different creatures by myself, but they are nothing I have ever seen before" asked Kafei.

What can the Union of the Romani-Ranch do against this enemy?  
How can they defeat them?  
Who are they?

"Allow me to answer those questions" spoke an unknown voice behind the group.  
Everyone turned around to face the origin of the voice – and they saw her!  
A tall woman, clothed with a red dress, long white hair and intense green eyes suddenly stood behind the Union – and she glowed in a warm white light.  
"Whoa!" shouted Anju and got the scare of her life.  
"Who the hell are you?" asked Gorman and grabbed his pitchfork.  
"And how did you get in here?" asked Link and drew his sword.  
_"Damn, she's creepy …"_ thought Kafei but didn't dare to say his thoughts loudly.

"Wait! Romani knows her! She is the one who saved us!" said Romani and put her hands on the pitchfork and the sword to lower them.


	18. Beyond Belief

_**Notes from the Author:**__ As it looks like does the site have a problem with changing the old cover image to the new one – strangely. Hopefully this bug gets fixed soon. _

_In this chapter I have added a few things concerning the plot because some of the mysterious woman's answers were actually highly unsatisfying and still left a couple of questions open in the old version. This is fixed now and the women and Joseph will have a more detailed dialogue._

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**{{{ Chapter 18 - Beyond Belief }}}**

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Inside Gorman's Hideout – Late Afternoon

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"_How the heck did she get in here? I locked the door this morning and…" _thought Gorman while he looked at the mysterious person with long white hair and luminous green eyes. Gorman was not the only one, who was confused at this moment. Everyone else looked deep into her mysterious, green eyes and their heads were filled with several questions.

"Are y-you really the one who saved my Romani?" asked Cremia carefully. Was she a goddess who heard her praying?  
"Yes, Cremia Romani. I led your little sister through the Cave of the Blind Hunters. I asked her to follow the echo of my voice" the mysterious woman answered. Her voice – it had something strange on it. It is really hard to describe to a mortal being like we are. When she spoke, her voice was … somehow powerful in the long ears of every Terminan, and in the round ears of Nazran and Joseph as well of course. It sounded so powerful and daunting, but also calm and wise. Her words calmed the beating hearts of the eight and still filled them with fear and respect at the same time.

"How … how did you know my full name?!" asked Cremia in a surprised expression. Her question was valid indeed. How could she know her name? The mysterious woman had never seen her before, or did she? But she didn't answer. Instead she looked at Joseph, who was afraid of her and admired her beauty at the same time. Gorman, Romani, Kafei and Cremia were afraid as well while Anju was almost completely paralyzed.

"Don't be afraid. I am not one of **them**" she explained. The fearful ones gulped, took a deep breath, pulled themselves together and tried their best to trust her. Maybe, and hopefully, she was not another enemy. Well, actually she saved Romani and Joseph before. If she wanted them dead, she wouldn't have helped them at all.  
Romani was hugging Cremia's skirt again. At first she was afraid too, but after her words entered Romani's heart, she wasn't afraid anymore. Instead Romani put all her courage together, released Cremia's skirt from her little hands and went a step further to the mysterious woman.  
The woman smiled, while she looked with her luminous green eyes into Romani's deep-blue eyes – and Romani smiled too.

"T-Thank you – dear lady. Romani is very thankful for your help. But please … tell Romani – no w-wait! Please tell everyone who you are – and how you get in here without knocking…" asked Romani meekly. The woman smiled and answered the questions of everyone.  
"My name is Xenocturna. Or that is the name that most people give to me."  
"Xenocturna … t-that's a very unknown name here in Termina. Are you from Termina?"  
"I am not from Termina, young Romani. Neither am I from what Joseph calls Earth" said Xenocturna and glimpsed to Joseph. What the heck? How did she know that Joseph was not from Termina? Her answer caused Joseph to think again. Maybe … maybe she knows how he came into this world. Could Xenocturna be the one that finally helps him to put all pieces of the puzzle together?

"O-Okay. If you are not from Termina … where is Xenocturna from?" asked Romani.  
"A simple question, yet a difficult answer, little Romani. I am floating across the universe, passing through the gate. I'm the ambassador of eternity, telling the peoples of love and hate. Never too early, never too late, when I pass through the Cosmic Gate. My home is the endless space, living between stars full of grace" Xenocturna tried to explain.  
"You live between the stars? Romani is confused right now. Xenocturna speaks in mysteries" answered Romani and Xenocturna smilingly laughed. Romani was just too cute when she was confused.

"Well, if that's what you say is true, then … can you tell us what those odd creatures are that keeps attacking us?" asked Kafei and he was right. If Xenocturna is really "floating across the universe", then she might know them better than every Terminan or Earthling ever could.

"Yes, Kafei Dotour. I can answer your question. And also the questions from Joseph, Cremia, Anju, Romani, Gorman, Nazran and Link" said Xenocturna. She knew all names including their surnames. "The creatures you see, which are attacking Termina and many other civilizations as well, are called the Exigoz. The Exigoz are an intelligent, but extremely brutal civilization of advanced insects that created the technology to open portals wherever they like to. When their greed couldn't be satisfied anymore and their 'special resources' got short, they advanced their technology of portals – until they created the so called "Cosmic Gate". The world from which the Exigoz origin cannot be found within this world – it can only be found behind the Cosmic Gate."

"The cosmic what?" interrupted Joseph.

"For a person like you, Joseph Kaminski, I understand that this sounds confusing. Even though you have seen the all kind of different things in your video games, such things in human eyes always create perplexity, doesn't it?" replied Xenocturna. She didn't only know his name but also about his passion to play video games. Joseph was not from Termina, so she must also know how he came to this world! Her answer only let Joseph's mouth open because of her overwhelming knowledge that nobody could understand.

"W-Wow, j-just how? You … you know so much about us. Uhm, I-I feel really sorry to interrupt you but, please: Can you answer my questions?" asked Joseph and Xenocturna slightly nodded with a smile. It was time to solve the biggest mystery Joseph was ever confronted with.

"Okay. First of all: I-I still don't understand how I came to Termina. I'm still not entirely sure that all of this is just a dream or some sort of virtual reality. I also began to believe that we're just a fantasy in someone's head? Is all of this even real? I mean this world is, well, it … it is made in a computer game! Everyone next to me, from Cremia to Anju, from Kafei to Link, from Gorman to Nazran, everyone is a character in this game. Even Clock-Town, the Romani-Ranch and the Pirate-Fortress – every place is in this game! But … everything looks and feels so freaking real! This game called "Majoras Mask", was invented somewhere by someone – fifteen years ago I think – fifteen fucking years! How is it possible that I only had to touch a little piece of plastic that contains a bit of electronic to land in a world like this? How did I get into this world that only can exist in a computer game, but feels so real?  
It is absolutely impossible that Link is just a bunch of data! It is absolutely impossible that Romani's intelligence and feelings are programmed by a human! It is absolutely impossible that Cremia's pain and her emotional screams are only ones and zeroes! And last but not least: It is absolutely impossible that the arrow that flew next to my head in the Cave of the Blind Hunters was harmless in any way. Same with the energy projectile that nearly killed Cremia and me in the Pirate-Fortress or the Exigoz-thing that threw me at the hill! Everything's so real!  
All of this … it … it can't be real! No really … it can't … but it is!  
I came back home from a regular school day … and I landed here. How? Please Xenocturna … I … I finally want to know it!"

After Joseph released his questions and his contradicting theories, he took a deep breath. Everyone looked at him because nobody really understood what he was talking about. What's a computer game? What is "to program" something? What are data? Nobody really knew … except for Xenocturna. She smiled and understood the upset Joseph.  
"Let me answer your questions," said Xenocturna and everyone looked into her green eyes. Cremia, Romani and Link were also curious about Joseph's origin.

"Now that I am here, breaking my relationship with time and space, I want to satisfy your curiosity, Joseph Kaminski. All of this is real. From the enchanted wind of the spring flowers, the tingling emotion of warm white sea sand, the pure and carefree smile of a child as the original nature of honesty, the silence of forest in the early morning which is only interrupted by the lonely call of a bird, the freshness of the unspoiled nature but also the pure rage of evil, every sliver that tingles your nerves, all mindless destruction – all of this is the pure reality. None of this is virtual. This world, which its inhabitants gave the name Termina, is a world like yours, Joseph. The only difference is: This world is one of the parallel worlds, which can only be entered through the Cosmic Gate. The universe and the reality as you know it, is not the only existing one. The universe is much more complex than humans will ever be able to understand. Imagine a stack of discs with an infinite diameter. You, Joseph, simply have traveled from your disc-layer to another one."

So one riddle was solved. Termina simply was a parallel world. Not a virtual reality, not a dream and not a wild man's fantasy. Maybe Xenocturna was right about it. Is the absolute and total reality much bigger and much more complex than our weak human minds could ever understand? However, the answer to this question is, there were other important questions for Joseph. "How? How can I travel through the whole universe into another universe by just touching a little piece of plastic? And why is this world built into a game?" asked Joseph.

"You only saw the surface, but you didn't see what's inside it, right? This little piece of plastic contained a special transmitter that connected you and everything in your immediate reach to the Cosmic Gate. Every transmitter has a special signature that will always bring you to a very special layer of the complete universe. The reason why everything you see in here exists in a game is because the leading developer was, like you, trapped in Termina" answered Xenocturna.

"Wait, what? You mean the one Japanese dude, who lead the development, based all of his ideas onto **this**? How did he get here in the first place?"

"While the Exigoz tested their technology of finally creating a way to transport larger masses through the Cosmic Gate, some of their experiments failed – but not entirely. A couple of transmitters ported themselves into the new worlds, while they weren't able to port their whole carrier with them. Only two of the Exigoz' Cosmic Transmitters landed on the Earth – one of them was found by the young Shigeru Miyamoto. His memories of the childhood are all based on this real Termina and the real Hyrule, he'd explored behind the Cosmic-Gate. Everything he has created in the game actually comes from here. The cartridge you have bought in the shop is actually the one Cosmic Transmitter that Miyamoto had used. Some of his workers got suspicious, so he disguised it within a cartridge – unfortunately for him it got mistaken as a copy of the game, so it wandered all the way from Japan to Europe."

This was it. Joseph's confusion was finally gone, well at least for this moment. Termina was a parallel world, which he'd entered by a special portal-technology. Joseph's mind was satisfied for the first time since he came to Termina and everything was much clearer now. He needed a few minutes or maybe hours to digest the huge amount of information.  
"T-Thank you so much, Xenocturna! I … I understand now. I am o-overwhelmed what a regular person like me is experiencing right now … but, I think the other ones have questions too…" said Joseph, smiled and looked at the other ones, who smiled back at him too. He moved back and let the other ones ask too.

"Miss Xenocturna, is this vortex over Clock-Town a portal too?" asked Romani and looked at her with her innocent blue eyes.  
"The light blue vortex you saw is one of the Exigoz' perfected Cosmic Gates. They are sending their butchers through the portal to eradicate lives that could harm them in their mission to mine your world. The building-complex behind the portal, which you saw earlier, is one of their small military bases" answered Xenocturna.

"But how can we defeat such an overpowered enemy?" asked Kafei in a hopeless and worried voice.  
"The Exigoz are connected with each other. Every drone, every soldier, every worker of the Exigoz is connected to a central brain. The tallest building behind the portal is one of those central brains. If the connection is interrupted, for example by closing the gate, every Exigoz in Termina will die instantly" explained Xenocturna.

"Huh, you're funny, my lady. How can we close such a big portal? With planks and nails?" asked Nazran.  
"The Swamp. The Mountain. The Ocean. And the Canyon. The legends of Termina say that in every region lives one giant. Those giants prevented the fall of the moon before and their power is also strong enough to close the portal over Clock-Town. They must be awakened again. The young Hero of Time, Link, already did this before and I believe in the united power of the Union that you can manage it together" said Xenocturna. She was right with the fact that they are strong together. But even if the Fellowship was strong now the whole destiny of Termina and its inhabitants lasted on the shoulders of eight people.

"Well, uhm … this sounds great. Should I also bring The Ring to Mordor and on the way defeat the one, whose name shall not be spoken?" asked Joseph jokingly. Xenocturna smiled, looked at Joseph and said:  
"Sure, why not? But please don't forget: This is nor a game and neither a movie or a novel. Never forget that."

Joseph nodded and smiled too. That was not the right time for jokes. It was clear who the enemy was, what the enemy wanted and how the courageous and strong Union can defeat this strong enemy together.  
Suddenly something very strange happened … something nobody would have expected. Xenocturna didn't smile anymore and put her right hand onto her chest – in front of her heart to be exact. What was wrong? Was she hurt? Did she felt pain?

"I … I must leave very soon. Please, save this world from the greed of the Exigoz … at least this one" said Xenocturna.  
But she didn't leave immediately. Before she went away, she turned to everyone individually and gave them new hope and new power. Like she knew they really need it at this moment.

"Anju Dotour … may your benevolence be the light through this age of darkness."

"Cremia Romani … may your love fill the saddest hearts and show the loveless the other side of the medal."

"Ross Gorman … may your strength move the heaviest boulders away and may your eyes see through the darkness to reveal every hidden path on your journey."

"Joseph Kaminski … may your knowledge ignite the passion of curiosity in every person, who search for answers and the right path."

"Kafei Dotour … may your sincerity and your honesty lead Termina into a golden age of peace and prosperity."

"Link … may your courage be the torch through the darkest caves and the sword against the faces of evil."

"Nazran Tumarkis … may your prudence and your hopes unite the Gerudo and guide them into a brave new world."

"Romani Romani … may your fortitude and your arrows be an inspiration for every future hero in Termina."

After Xenocturna spoke these words she'd disappeared in front of them. This warm feeling around their hearts was giving them new energy, new power, new passion. It was decided the Union of the Romani-Ranch had to defeat the Exigoz by awakening the giants of Termina to finally bring peace back to Termina.


	19. The Silence before the Storm

**{{{ Chapter 19 - The Silence before the Storm }}}**

* * *

Inside Gorman's Hideout – Early Evening

* * *

"Whoa … what the …?" asked Gorman to himself. As fast as Xenocturna appeared, she also disappeared. In a matter of milliseconds she vanished into thin air.  
Whoever this mysterious woman with the unusual name Xenocturna was, she knew a lot … and maybe she had powers, which nobody could have ever imagined.  
On this early evening in the Darkwood Forest, or inside Gorman's Hideout to be exact, the eight finally got enlightened about their enemy and also Joseph's restless mind was satisfied too.  
But there were still some questions left … questions that only the Fellowship itself can answer together.

"Whoever Xenocturna is, I think we can trust her. She saved Romani and maybe her words to us will save Termina from the Exigoz too" said Kafei to the rest.  
"We have no other choice but trusting her. If that's what she says is true, then we must awaken the four Giants … and we shouldn't dawdle with doing so!" said Cremia to the other ones.  
"I agree with sister. But … where should we go first?" asked Romani.  
"Well … uhm … good question indeed" said Link to Romani. Link was used to be guided by a fairy. Either Navi or Tatl guided him through Hyrule or Termina, so he always knew where to go. But this time even the Hero of Time was astray on the path of their future.

While the other ones discussed about the next destination, Joseph and Nazran both went back to the table with the map on it. This map was way bigger, way more detailed but also much more complex than the one that Anju gave Joseph, Romani and Link on their journey through the cold mountains before.  
"Hmmm …" thought Joseph and scratched his chin beard. He looked all over Termina and realized how big it actually is. It had majestic and cold mountains in the north, a salty and pirate-dominated ocean in the west, poisonous and populous swamps in the south and a deadly and depressive canyon in the east.  
"What do you think, Joseph? Where should we risk our lives first?" asked Nazran.  
Joseph didn't answer at first because he looked on the map and tried to follow the discussion, which Cremia, Kafei, Gorman, Link and Romani held besides. He didn't even recognize Anju, who was at the map table too and stood next to him and Nazran.

"Well … good question, Nazran. If that's what Link told me on the ranch before is true, then every place is dangerous on its own. The swamps are full of insects and poisonous plants, also the water might be not really friendly to our skins. The Ocean is still dominated by Aveil and the Gerudo; and I really really really do not want to see Aveil again. The mountains are so cold and frosty; I can use my snot as chopsticks there. The canyon should be dangerous as well because it is haunted. I don't believe in ghosts or other paranormal activity, but … well … this is a parallel world and I've already seen the craziest things here. No place seems to be the best option …" said Joseph while he pointed at every zone on the map.

As already mentioned, the Gerudo are very good strategists and they can plan every detail on a map very well. But this time even Nazran was stumped for an answer. Anju was silent and watched the strategists discussing.  
"I am not really sure if we should do this, but I think the best way might be this:" began Nazran and pointed on the south-eastern side of the Darkwood-Forest, where they are right now.  
"If we are here … and ignore the possible dangers at first … then it will be the best option to go to the south; straight through the Woods of Mystery and to the Magic Hag's Potion Shop. Maybe this hag knows more about how to awaken the giants" said Nazran.

"M-May I make a suggestion too?" asked Anju carefully.  
"Of course Anju" said Joseph and focused his hearing on her.  
"Now you made me curious, Anju" said Nazran and focused her hearing on her as well.  
"What if we just stay here for one more day? I m-mean the Exigoz aren't sleeping … I know … but we shouldn't rush and land straight into their arms. Let's prepare some equipment, let's eat and rest. We ran so much yesterday, my feet are still hurting. And as we already experienced, the forest we are in right now, is dangerous at night. What if we get attacked by that giant spider again? Oh … I … uhm … I am sorry … I shouldn't have interrupted you … sorry …" said Anju meekly and apologized for her own suggestion.

"Hmmm … you don't have to apologize, Anju. To be honest, I think your suggestion sounds quite reasonable. We need to face the situation first and we really should prepare ourselves for this hard journey very well. Or what do you think about it, Nazran?" said Joseph and agreed with Anju.  
"Hmmm … I think you are right. Let's sleep over this, rest for one more night and prepare ourselves in the morning. Let's hope the Exigoz won't attack tonight …" answered Nazran.

The other ones got instructed in Anju's suggestion as well and they agreed with her too. It is very rare to see so much union. Everyone agreed with her and they took a deep breath together.  
So it was one more night in Gorman's Hideout. One more night to rest their hurting feet, one more night to digest the devastation and the deadly situations that the eight experienced since a few days and one more night to prepare everything for a new journey … a dangerous journey that will either lead them into glory and peace … or into pain and death.

A few hours passed and the sun set between the eerie and tall trees of the forest … causing the peaceful forest to turn into a place of danger and fear again. Nazran, Link and Kafei stood next to the map table and wrote down everything they might need for their journey. They also wrote down the route which they will pass.  
Nazran suggested that it might be the best idea to begin in the swamps and walk clockwise through each region. First the swamp, then the ocean, then the mountains and their last station will be the canyon. Link thought about the needed equipment and Kafei helped Nazran in planning the routes.

While five of them planned used the rest the time to rest.  
Joseph was sitting on a chair and looked out of the window … and the view let him just realize his unbelievable situation.  
"Damn. How lucky … or unlucky … do I have to be to land in such a parallel world? This is still so unbelievable. Well … now I know everything is real. My new friends but also the Exigoz; the beauty of Termina and also its dangerousness; everything is real. That's just amazing. A regular young and dreamy person like me, who attends a regular college, entered this world and is walking along the path through the edge of the impossible. But … why me? I am not even sure if I should be thankful for that … or if I should fret about it …" thought Joseph and tried to digest the truth.

He entered a whole new world. Joseph is just a regular person, a person who lived in the technologically advanced world we all live in right now. He got dragged through a Cosmic Gate into another world and another universe.  
Not only the fact that Termina or the Exigoz itself exists at all and not only the fact that we humans have not the slightest idea how the clockwork of the universe actually works caused an overwhelming feeling in Joseph. It was also the fact that he was the person who got dragged into this world. It could have been one of his friends in his world … or maybe also you.  
You could be the one who represents Joseph right now. A regular school day in the morning … and an adventurous journey in the evening … how could he have known that?

But not only Joseph was thinking in this unusual moment of silence. Cremia used this moment of silence to think too. Hard times began for the beautiful, redheaded rancher with long ears … very hard times to be exact. Her sister and she nearly got killed by a raging pirate queen. If that wasn't already enough, she lost the only thing she had besides her sister … her home together with her cows. Not only was the home of Romani and Cremia destroyed … also their hopes for a better future were gone.  
The Cremia had the hope that her sister will someday have the life she never had. A more prosperous future, where she doesn't have to fear the edge of poverty anymore. A future, where her sister will get the husband she really deserves … who fills her heart with love and who raises a lovely family with her. But she also hoped for a future, where her sisters' bones won't be broken by the massive amount of work and chores … where she has some time to play together with the ones she loves in the early evening.

The view of the bloody body of Romani, the ruins of the ranch and the squeezed cows still haunted her mind. Holding her own, nearly dead, sister in her hands and imaging the final loss of her family … Cremia wouldn't be able to withstand such an amount of pain. Did the Romani sisters and any other person in Termina deserve such pain and torture? Certainly not! But not everything in this world was bad. Cremia knew that and tried to suppress the thoughts of darkness with good thoughts.  
She met a lot of new people and maybe in this situation Cremia also had the opportunity to show her true power for the first time in her life. It was time to make her ancestors, her dead parents and her cute and courageous sister proud.

Cremia was sunken deeply in her own thoughts. This special moment of silence helped her a lot. It is not wrong to describe it as some kind of meditation … to let her focus on the right things again and to give her new strength.  
But somehow Cremia was confronted with another problem. A problem that was way more complex than everything else she was confronted with before. Cremia looked at Kafei, who was still helping the Fellowship in planning the routes. She took a deep breath and exhaled some of her unsatisfied hopes together with warm air.  
After she looked at Kafei, she also looked to Joseph, who was more sunken in his own thoughts than Cremia while sitting on a chair.

Cremia likes Kafei and Joseph. They are very good friends to her and to see such brave and obliging young man filled her heart with a warm feeling … but they also awakened some kind of painful feeling in her. This feeling is … strange … and nothing a person like me could describe with words.  
Cremia sighed … and her view turned to the ground … leaving nothing behind but a sad Cremia.

"Sis? Is everything okay with you?" asked Romani suddenly and Cremia veiled her true feelings again.  
"Oh … uhm … I am fine, Romani. What about you?" asked Cremia with a fake smile.  
"Romani is fine. But … sister … please do not lie to Romani. I want to help you if you feel sad" said Romani … and her answer overwhelmed Cremia. This was it; Romani already saw what's behind her veil of fake emotions.  
"I … uhm … Romani, I …" tried Cremia to speak. She was not able to do it anymore. Lying to her sister even more would be the wrong choice right now … so Cremia dropped her veil … and showed her true face to Romani. But before Cremia could explain anything, Romani already spoke.

"Actually … Romani is sad too. The loss of our ranch, our cows and our friends in Clock-Town is so much depressing. Nobody deserved this. But Romani thinks that there is still hope. Maybe I am naïve … but I believe in us and our strength. We watch out for each other. Blueberry watched over Romani in this dark cave with the hunters and the spiders … and Romani watched over Blueberry. Whenever my sister is in danger, I will come and help her! We are strong together. And after we defeated the Exigoz, we will build a new ranch and a new Clock-Town. Maybe the new ranch will be even more beautiful! Together with Grasshopper and Blueberry, we will deliver food to Clock-Town. We will be a happy family like we were before our parents died. Sister, whatever will await us on our journey, we will always watch out for you, Romani promises!" said Romani … and hugged her sister.

Cremia was overwhelmed. Her dreamy little sister who always lived behind Fairytales was maybe more adult than she ever has thought of. Her hopes for a better future were not gone … and her words touched the very bottom of her heart, causing her to release tears of new hope and joy too. Cremia was so happy to be next to her sister right now. Was this the "pure and carefree smile of a child, as the original nature of honesty" that Xenocturna mentioned earlier?

Anju and Gorman both heard Romani's words and the hug too. They just had to stop what they did at this moment and watch this hug. Both released tears too. The love was probably healing Cremia's deepest wounds … as corny as it may sound.

"Okay, everyone listens up!" said Gorman and everyone listened up.  
"I made some dinner for you. Let's eat together before we start the journey tomorrow in the later morning"

The stomachs of each hero were already growling. A tasty dinner and some soft beds afterwards … too bad that this luxury won't last for much longer after they recovered on this special day.

* * *

_**One request:** Please write reviews for the story. This is helping me a lot in improving my writing skills. I write this FanFiction to improve my writing skills in a foreign language. So please criticize me if you don't like something or if you find mistakes. _

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	20. The Woods of Mystery

**{{{ Chapter 20 - The Woods of Mystery }}}**

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Inside Gorman's Hideout – The next morning

* * *

"Ugh … what the …?" asked a dazed Nazran while laying in her improvised bed. After the tired eight ate their humble dinner in the evening, they immediately went to sleep to recover for one more night. The night was calm and refreshing and everyone dreamt sweetly, which had been unusual for the last days … not only for her but also for the rest of the Fellowship.

While Nazran slowly woke up, she smelt something strange. Was this the scent of – something burnt? She immediately opened her eyes and stood up, looked around and … there was smoke in the room!  
"Uh oh … not good. Wake up! Fire!" shouted the still dazed Nazran and woke everybody up with her sudden fire alarm.  
"C-Calm down, N-Nazran … it is j-just me …" said a known voice behind her. Nazran turned around and saw a surprised Anju standing behind the stove, together with a pan in her hands.  
"What the heck are you doing there?" asked Nazran, but the answer seemed quite obvious.  
"I … I made some … pancakes … because of b-breakfast … s-sorry for waking you … s-sorry …" answered Anju in a stuttering voice.  
"Ah, it's okay. At least you are not charring us and I am also a bit hungry, so some food would be nice indeed" answered Nazran.

Nazran's alarming shout caused the rest of the Union to wake up. Everyone wondered about the burning smell, but it was just Anju who was baking pancakes for them. Hopefully she did not char them.  
Everyone sat down at the dinner table and while Anju handed out her pancakes, Kafei asked her:  
"Honey, thanks for the breakfast. But why are you awake so early in the morning?"  
"Well – I don't know why. Sleeping on foreign places always makes me nervous – maybe I woke up so early because of this" replied Anju. She was used to the bed in the Stock Pot Inn, but now there was nothing left of the beloved Inn anymore – only burned debris and wrecked hopes.

The dazed Joseph, who had awaited a tasty breakfast, first looked at the pancakes and saw that they were almost black at some points. He raised his eyebrows while looking at them. He'd never seen such strange pancakes before.  
He looked around into the faces of his friends to check their reaction to the ominous food. Cremia did the same and looked into Joseph's eyes. Her deep blue eyes were widely opened while she looked into Joseph's dark brown eyes.  
Gasp! Uhm …? Why was Cremia gently shaking her head? Was she telling him on a nonverbal way that eating Anju's food was not a good idea?

Cremia immediately changed her facial expression to a smile after she saw that Anju had turned to them. Joseph did the same and showed his probably fakest smile ever.  
"Do you like my pancakes?" asked Anju to Joseph. She looked into his eyes and expected him to try them out. So he slowly took the fork and tried a little piece of them. The pancakes awfully tasted like a burned piece of wood in his mouth. While he tried to withstand the odd aroma, he had smiled at her, nodded his head and said:  
"They … are good … ***cough*** … very good, Anju …"  
"Awww thank you, Joseph. I am glad you like it" she replied.

He gulped and tried to suppress the pain caused by the dry and burnt piece of wood … I mean pancakes.  
Cremia, Romani and Kafei looked at him while he choked, causing them to chuckle.  
Anju was for sure not the best cook.  
"Can Romani have some sugar for the pancakes? A lot of sugar…" asked Romani.  
"Uhm, sure …" replied Anju and took a small can of sugar out of Gorman's drawer.  
Good idea, maybe the sugar could mask the bad taste … together with some water to change the painful dryness too. At last the pancakes were enjoyable after Romani's sudden idea.

After the eight more or less enjoyed a carnival of senses while eating Anju's spicy pancakes, they prepared everything they need for their journey.  
Nazran introduced everyone in her plans for the routes. First station: Through the Woods of Mystery, past the Old Hag's Potion Ship and straight to the Deku Palace.  
Link wrote a list of needed equipment yesterday, so they had their needed and important equipment very fast.  
Some backpacks and empty bottles were given to everyone.  
Some food for later meals was given to Cremia.  
Some red potions as medics were given to Anju.  
Some arrows and other weapons were given to Romani, Link, and everyone who was armed.  
The big map and the compass that Nazran and the other strategists used to plan their routes was given to Nazran, also two smaller maps were given to Link and Joseph.  
Gorman took some candles and torches with him, while Kafei got some food- and water-reserves.  
To finally arm Joseph properly as well took he an axe, which Gorman had stored in the corner.

The heroes of the Union were equipped and ready to face the incoming dangers, the future of Termina and probably death itself. They looked at each other, took a deep breath together, nodded and all of them left the hideout of Gorman.  
"Right … that's it. This is where the easy part is over now" said Nazran to the rest.  
"I hope my equipment will be useful for us" said Gorman to the rest.  
"Your equipment will be very useful indeed, Mister Gorman" replied Kafei.  
"The Woods of Mystery are … about here. We have to go straight into this direction" spoke Nazran to the rest, while looking at the compass and pointing towards the southern forest.  
"Wow … if I ever get the change to come home … nobody will ever believe me …" said Joseph to the rest.  
"I think we can say the same about us. We've never expected an attack like this …" answered Cremia to Joseph. She was right. Not only Joseph has seen some weird stuff in Termina. Beginning from people who live in late-medieval / early-renaissance conditions and have long ears like in some fantasy stories up to some things that are completely contradicting with Joseph's physically and scientific way of thinking – everything was new in this world.  
Also the Terminan inhabitants, beginning from three ranchers and a young Hero of Time, up to a pirate-soldier and two citizens of Clock-Town, have seen things that they've never thought about before.

While they went through the quite peaceful forest, which was dangerous at night but now flooded with daylight, they arrived at a bigger hill.  
"This hill might give us a better view" instructed Nazran to the Fellowship.  
Everybody went up the hill and after about ten minutes they were on top of it.  
Side by side they stood next to each other while they enjoyed the view together.  
Romani was hugging her sisters' arm, Joseph was surprised by the beauty of the swamp and the forests, Nazran was focused on her map and her compass and didn't enjoy the view at all.

"Wow, so this is the swamp? Looks a bit like the Pantanal" said Joseph.  
"Yes, this is the swamp, my dear Joseph. We have to go through this forest over here and past the place where the smoke raises up, and then straight to the Deku Palace over here…" said Nazran to him and the rest.  
"Nature is so beautiful. I live – or lived in a dense city and never really saw the beauty of nature for a long time since then …" said Joseph.  
"It might be beautiful from up here, but the swamp is a dangerous place, never forget that my dear Joseph. Several creatures are populating the forest and lots of insects are crawling through the muddy ground. Some of them are dangerous and poisonous but some of them can be even used as food …" she explained.  
"Well, eating Grasshoppers – sounds great, I guess…" said Cremia sarcastically.  
"Why does sister wants to eat my Grasshopper?" asked Romani and pointed at Link.  
"Oh … uhm … Romani, I meant eating real grasshoppers and not our Link, hehehe" laughed Cremia, together with the others.

"What I've heard before, some insects are quite tasty …" said Joseph.  
"And where did you get that information from?" asked Kafei.  
"Uhm … Internet …" replied Joseph – but he was even more confused after his answer.  
"There is no time to waste! Now let's move towards the Woods of Mystery…" said Gorman. Dawdling was not a good idea now. Around the purple mountain in the center of the swamps, named Woodfall, flew two of the Exigoz-Drones – and no one had an idea what they could have wanted there…  
"Whatever those Exigoz are doing here, it means nothing good to us…" was the last sentence on the hill, which came from Anju, before the eight finally climbed down the hill.

Step by step they climbed down and arrived at the border to the Woods of Mystery after another couple of minutes. The Woods of Mystery are a jungle-like kind of forest, which housed a intense amount of Flora (and Fauna) in it. Some of the tropical birds could be heard in the Woods of Mystery and …  
"Gasp! What's this?" asked Anju while she felt something weird onto her left leg.  
"Wow … now that's a huge centipede …" said Romani to her while looking at her leg. On her small left leg crawled a huge brown centipede, which was about six times bigger than the ones we know in our world.  
"Aaaah! Yikes! Get it off my leg!" said the young maid, while she violently tried to shake it off.  
After three attempts of shaking it off, the centipede fell of her leg and quickly crawled away into the bushes.  
"Don't worry, those centipedes are harmless …" explained Gorman.  
"But still extremely disgusting …" she replied.

"Mister Gorman, what exactly is so mysterious about the Woods of Mystery?" asked Kafei. The forest was full of insects and more like a jungle, but what exactly was mysterious about it?  
"Well, uhm, I never understood that either. Maybe because of the bigger insects or maybe because it is a very dense forest. I don't really know…" replied Gorman.  
"I was already in the Woods of Mystery once. First it looked like a normal forest to me, but as I can remember can you easily get lost in it. Maybe that's the mystery – but that is just a guess" explained Link.  
Link knew a similar forest, but this one was not jungle-like.  
"Well … I guess we will find it out very soon …" replied Nazran.

While the eight walked carefully trough the Woods of Mystery, they've heard the screams of tropical birds and the rustle of the plants caused by the gentle wind. They smelled the tropical scent of the tall trees together with the spicy chlorophyll of the colorful plants. They felt a gentle and soft heat on their skin, caused by the rays of sunlight that shined through the shallow branchwood – along with the muddy ground beneath their feet, which left the shape of their shoes and boots in it with every footstep.

Even though the bushes were rustling by the wind, one of the bushes was rustling even more … or was it? Romani heard the louder rustle with her sharp sense of hearing and turned around to the bush.  
"What was that?" asked Romani and everybody turned around to her.  
"What's wrong, Redleaf?" asked Link in a surprised voice.  
"Romani thought she has heard something moving between the bushes …" replied Romani.  
"It was only the wind, young Romani. Nothing to worry about" said Gorman to her.  
"Well … if you say so …" answered Romani and turned to their original path together with the rest of the Union again.

* * *

_Merry Christmas to you by the way! I hope you enjoy the holidays as much as I do!_


	21. A Last Gift

**{{{ Chapter 36 - A Last Gift }}}**

* * *

Woods of Mystery – Late Afternoon

* * *

"Nazran, where exactly are we? I don't remember that the Woods of Mystery are that big…" Link asked Nazran, who held her map and the compass in front of her.  
"According to the map we should already be at the Magic Hag's Potion Shop, but it doesn't seem so…" replied Nazran and scratched her head.  
"Please don't tell us we are lost in this – this bug-verminous forest!" said Anju to her as well.  
Were the eight Heroes of Termina already lost in the Woods of Mystery? But … Nazran looked carefully at the map and also carefully orientated with the compass. She did not lie when she said that they already should have arrived at the Potion Shop.

"Nazran, look! Romani has found something!" said Romani to the main Navigator of the Union … and pointed at … a rock?  
"Yes? What's wrong with the rock?" asked Nazran.  
"Romani has already seen this rock before … three times since we go through the forest!" said Romani to them.  
"Are you sure, Romani?" asked Cremia her little sister and Romani nodded.  
"I am absolutely sure, sister! Also the trees, the footsteps and the size of this place is the same" responded Romani.  
"This means we are walking in circles! All the time since we have arrived in the forest!" said Anju to the rest.  
"I don't understand how this is possible. We've been walking straight forward for some hours. I also navigated by looking at the surroundings. How is it possible that we walk in circles!?" answered Nazran.  
"This is mysterious indeed" commented Joseph, scratched his chin beard and looked around.

"Can you show me the place, where we are right now?" asked Kafei and went next to the Gerudo-Warrior.  
"We should be around here … and we are looking to the south-east right now, so we should walk to the south over here …" replied Nazran and pointed to all the places she had mentioned.  
Kafei and Joseph, who joined the map-readers as well, looked together with Nazran at the map and the compass.  
"Wait, what the…? Look at the compass!" shouted Kafei and indeed happened something unusual. Nobody was moving – but somehow the compass slowly turned its needle until it faced towards south-west.  
"Another lesson in Terminan Physics today, huh?" asked Joseph sarcastically. Did the forest change the magnetic field of the planet? Or were the trees magnetic by themselves? How is that possible?  
"I … I don't understand …" said Kafei and scratched his head while looking confusingly at the map and the compass. Now the compass suddenly moved its needle to the north, but same as before was nobody moving, so the needle moved by itself.  
"Very mysterious indeed …" said Nazran and was confused too.

While Nazran, Joseph and Kafei were philosophizing about the reason why the compass went crazy or why they are always walking in circles (because the compass wasn't really the only reason they walked in circles), Romani noticed another rustle in the bushes. The rustle was definitely not because of the wind – even though it was quite windy at that day, Romani wasn't fantasizing and she used her senses very well.  
"Sister, look! The bush was moving again, Romani saw it with her own eyes!" said Romani and tug at Cremia's blouse-sleeve.  
"It was just the wind again, my dear Romani. Nothing to worry about" replied Cremia.  
"But sis! Romani is absolutely sure that the bush moved not only because of the wind…" responded Romani in a disappointed voice. Why didn't her sister believe her?

But Cremia did Romani a favor and looked at the same bush together with her – and Cremia's facial expression changed to surprised when the bush moved again. The rustle was definitely not only because of the wind, Romani was absolutely sure about it.  
"Did sister see it too?" asked Romani.  
"Maybe you are right, Romani. This bush moved much faster than the other ones …" said Cremia.  
"What's wrong, Cremia?" asked Anju.  
"Romani saw something moving in this bush over here. Maybe we aren't alone here …" replied Cremia.  
"Romani has an idea!" she said took her bow and one arrow. She aimed at the bush and shot the arrow straight towards the dense leafs of the bush.

Romani's plan had worked. Out of the bush came a highly pitched quick kind of scream. Now it was absolutely sure that they weren't alone anymore.  
"Uh oh … we h-have a follower!" shouted Anju to the rest of the Union, causing our Navigators to turn to them and watch the bush for any threat together.  
"There is something in the bushes. Romani is sure!" said Romani.  
"Romani! What do your elf eyes see?" asked Joseph and was definitely not making an allusion.  
"Romani doesn't know what, but it made some kind of scream…"  
"Well … let's find it out then …" said Gorman, took his pitchfork from Romani Ranch and used it to move the dense leafs of the bush away.

But maybe Gorman's action was a bit too hasty because behind the bush was **it** again. Big, eight legs, lots of eyes, a big mouth and a body, which had the shape of a skull – a Skulltula again! It released a loud scream, moved its mouth around and crawled out of the bush.  
"W-Well … I guess it is t-time for running again!" shouted Joseph. A word and a blow and everyone was already running, being chased by the Skullfaced-Killer once again – this time fortunately with daylight.  
"By the goddesses! Not this creature again! I am still tired of the last one!" said Anju while running.  
"I … I hope we won't get lost even further in this weird forest, why can't we just have a normal and peaceful day?" asked Nazran. Running through the forest until they find a save spot again was no option this time and hopefully Joseph and Romani won't fall through a fissure and land in a cave with blind hunters again…

Quickly ran the eight as fast as the wind through the dense woods, while the treetops were cracking like rustling leaves. This beast was hungry for human flesh again, hopefully for the last time. Running away from such Skulltulas was exhausting like two hours of jogging. This time the heroes also had to watch out for thick branches, which were falling down from the upper tree levels. If such a thick branch had hit someone of them, he or she would have lost their consciousness immediately.  
"I … hate … those … spiders …" gasped Joseph loudly, while running and trying to breath.

They arrived at a small forest glade. At the end of the forest glade was sitting a … a monkey? This monkey with white fur was well known to Link, because he already rescued them before … and they helped him too. Were they jumping and waving? It seemed so because maybe they wanted to help Link and his friends again … and the heroes needed every help they could get in this dangerous situation.  
"Follow me! The monkeys are helping us!" said Link to the rest … and everybody followed him.  
After two more minutes of running, they were in front of the monkeys, who waved again. I guess they tried to say "Follow me!" with her hand movements.

The Union had no other choice to trust Link and to follow his monkey-friends.  
Another minutes of more and more running passed as the eight heroes followed the monkeys … but … unfortunately the big Skulltula was still after them … and it was fast … very fast to be exact.  
"I … uh … I can't … run anymore … my feet are … hurting so much …" said Anju to the others. Kafei tried to motivate her: "Keep running, Honey. We have no choice and I don't want–"

***boom*** … could be heard and the ground trembled … because the Skulltula jumped down the treetops and landed directly behind Anju.  
"Aaaaaah! Help me! Aaaaaah!" screamed Anju because the beast was already grinding its hungry claws for her. Anju looked tasty for sure, maybe let's have a small bite of her tasty flesh …  
"Not this time you … greedy beast!" shouted Gorman and turned to Anju and her follower.  
He hit the beast with his pitchfork onto its head, but as already known was the skin of the beast as hard as a knight's armor.  
The beast was confused at first. Was such a silly human being really daring to attack it?  
"Back off!" yelled Gorman and tried to scare the beast … but it was grinding its claws even more.  
"Gorman! What are you doing?! Don't be stupid!" shouted Cremia to her former rival.  
"Fly! I'll do whatever I can, but you have to run away! Don't wait for me, I will handle this beast!" replied Gorman to his former rival as well.  
"But Gorman!" tried Cremia to say but she was dragged backwards by Romani and Link.  
"Run now, or you will regret it!" shouted Gorman to the rest of the Union again and hit the head of the beast for another time.

"Let's run, sister. Please…" said Romani and dragged Cremia back. Cremia then turned to the Union again and followed the monkeys with it again … and Cremia was weeping while running. Was this the end of the possible corporation with the Gorman? The man, who attacked and sabotaged her sister earlier, was now one of her greatest allies. He helped her and her friends in Termina's darkest hour and he gave her and her friends a temporary home for a few days … and now … now he was helping them to escape … and was probably paying with his life for this.

After another thirty hours of running, the seven heroes finally arrived at a bigger forest glade, which also contained a waterfall and … and the Magic Hag's Potion Shop! Finally! They arrived at their first station. Now it was time … to catch their breath again … because running away … from a Skulltula … is so exhausting … whew! Let's wipe the sweat from the foreheads away!  
They did it … and without the help of Link's monkeys and Gorman's courageous action … they wouldn't have made it.  
"Aaaaaargh …. Ah …. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" could be heard from afar. It was a loud scream, coming from a male person, who was probably in his middle age.  
"Gorman! Noooo!" screamed Cremia. But … unfortunately … she was right. It was the scream of Gorman … and it was a painful scream. It sounded like his body was separated in half by the beast's claws. Whatever happened to the courageous Gorman, he sacrificed his own life to protect the life of the other nine heroes of the Union of the Ranch-Sisters.  
Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Kafei, Link, Nazran and Romani were all sad on this bloody day of heroism. They lost the man, who gave them a place to think and plan their next steps, who gave them food and equipment for their dangerous journey and who was maybe giving them new hope too.

"I … I can't believe it that he …" tried Cremia to say. Joseph went next to her and tried to comfort her this time … but she only responded with: "Leave me alone!"  
They rested for an hour at the waterfall. An hour for giving their hurting legs a little break, a hour to plan their next steps and also an hour to grieve over the death of one of their friends.

Joseph, Nazran, Kafei and Anju were sitting next to the pond with the waterfall. All four felt sad about Gorman's last gift to them … but there was no time to rest now. They gathered all of their remaining power and planned their next steps together on Nazran's map and her compass, which was working again.  
Cremia was sitting next to a tree and looked sad as well. She sunk deep into her own thoughts again.  
"Sister, let's be strong now. Romani is also sad because of Gorman … but … Romani thinks he doesn't want us to sit all day here and be sad about his death. He did this only for us …" said Romani to Cremia.  
"Y-Yes, Romani. M-Maybe you are right … I am thankful for his help. I am so thankful for everything. Let's show him that his sacrifice was not in vain!" replied Cremia.  
Link gathered some firewood and made a campfire for cooking and warmth.

Every one of the seven heroes sat together at the campfire and they were cooking some of the food reserves … but also some of the bugs that were crawling around … because they had no other choice.  
"Joseph … sorry for being rude to you before … I … I didn't want to do that …" said Cremia and apologized for her angry response.  
"Nah it's okay! I can understand your response very well …" said Joseph with a smile.  
"Guys, let's eat very quickly. Look up to the sky …" said Nazran.

She was right … it was already dusk. The night was coming very fast … but they at least made it out of the Woods of Mystery, so they didn't have to camp in that bug-populous woods.  
The Magic Hag's Potion Shop was already in their sights.


	22. Silent Tears

_**Notes from the Author: **__Heyhey, what's up? I just wanted to announce two things:  
1.: Together with the upload of this chapter have I already updated chapter 20 and 21 and fixed major mistakes as well as some "disfigurements" (like the huge amount of "..."'s). The greatest mistakes are mostly continuity-errors like the Bombers being part of the Union (I deleted them because they had only a couple of lines through the story) or Joseph having an axe (which he finally has now due to the update in chapter 20).  
2.: Yesterday I have decided to redesign the romances between the characters, due to them being incredibly wordy and quite weak in the original version. Before I started the rework of the story I intended to "complete" one romance in the Ikana-Canyon, while the second romance got completed in the last two chapters (which should have been something around chapter 100) – now the romances intensify in the ocean- and mountain-chapters. But I won't spoiler you any further, so please enjoy ;)._

_Also thanks to Squadpunk 2.0 for giving some feedback. Thank you man (or woman?)!  
Sincerely, KorneliusPrisma_

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**{{{ Chapter 22 - Silent Tears }}}**

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Southern Swamp (near the Potion-Shop) – Dusk

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"Ugh … do we really have to …?" asked Anju her friends while sitting at the campfire.  
"I don't want to either … but I guess we have no other choice unless we want to starve, my dear wife …" replied Kafei.  
"This looks so disgusting in many ways. Romani has never thought that she'll have to do this in her life before…" said Romani and looked in a disgusted expression.  
"Well, let's try it out before we are too disgusted. As Kafei said, we have no other choice…" replied Cremia.

Wait, what were they actually talking about? Ah, right … of course … all seven members of the Union were sitting at the campfire together, next to the Potion-Shop and the waterfall. The sun already set and the sky was dark … this time neither the stars nor the moon could be seen because this night was a cloudy night. But what was so disgusting?  
Well … they had to eat something – and to save food reserves they decided to eat what Mother Nature had gifted to them. But unfortunately not berries – more like bugs – big, crawling, juicy and slimy bugs that crawled around.

Those bugs looked really disgusting indeed, but they had no other choice. Wasting food reserves just because they are disgusted was not very reasonable in their situation, so they took some of the bugs, impaled them on a stick and roasted them in the campfire. After waiting for some minutes, the brave and fearless heroes tried their very special and tasty gourmet menu and were impressed that the bugs actually taste a lot better than they are looking like.

"Fortunately there are plenty of those bugs. So we can fill our stomachs tonight, which is nice. Also we are next to a waterfall and if we cook that water, we can drink it safely too" said Joseph. Luckily Joseph had played some survival-games before he accidentally went through the Cosmic Gate, so he knew how to survive, well, at least a little bit. Knowledge was indeed power in such a tricky situation.  
While the darkness of the night was devouring the last daylight of Termina, the seven were looking deeply into the warming campfire and paused for a moment.

While eating and drinking, everyone remained silent, because now it was the right time for it. On this special day, the Union of the Romani-Ranch lost one of their heroes.  
Gorman, who bravely defended the rest of the group against the hungry claws of the Skullfaced-Killer, gave his life for the life of the others.  
Cremia and Romani were still not able to understand how a person can change so fast. Not long ago, the Gorman-Brothers were the biggest enemies of the two redheaded ranchers – but now, one of them gave his life to defend her and her lovely sister. He also tried to almost kill Cremia a couple of months ago.

While the warming orange light kissed the skin on Cremia's and Romani's face, both finally used the time to face what happened in such a short period of time.  
Cremia was kidnapped by a psychopathic and sadistic pirate-queen on Romani's birthday and got freed by her sister, whom she almost lost because of Aveil before.  
They escaped the pirate-fortress together with a new ally, named Nazran, while a new and even more dangerous enemy, named the Exigoz, attacked the fortress and whole Termina.  
They got nearly killed by Aveil and two drones on the wide, wide ocean but escaped to the coast of Great Bay just to see Clock-Town burning and everyone she knew dead.  
Cremia, Romani, Link, Joseph and Nazran sneaked to the Ranch and nearly lost their lives because of a big insectile creature that shot powerful and devastating energy-projectiles out of its head.  
They defeated the beast together, rested in the ranch house just to see how it got devastated the day after.  
After the last survivors joined the group and founded the Union together with the ranch-sisters and their friends, they went through a dark forest towards a secret hideout of the Gorman, where a mysterious person, named Xenocturna, told them that the only way to save Termina is to awakening the four giants. That is quite a lot in such a small amount of time!

Joseph was thinking about the last days like Cremia and Romani … and he was surprised that a regular and ordinary student for electrical engineering, like he was, came to this world and faced a war-like scenario like this. Joseph compared the scenario with a stereotypical American Action-Movie – or even with an anime – because of way too much adventure and action in so less time. That was way too much, even for him. This world, named Termina, was quite peaceful before and now he is part of a heroic Union that had to save Termina.  
But his joking comparison was not really funny for him. Joseph knew how death looks like, but in the reality it is way different as in such Action-Movies or some of his ego-shooters.  
Joseph was thinking for the first time about death in a different type of way. Walking on the edge of life and death all the time because of blood-thirsty pirates, huge spiders or alien-like creatures that are threatening him and his new friends all the time – this was too much for him. Death, destruction and sorrow in the, what he considered, real life? Joseph now finally understood how soldiers must have felt while fighting in the world wars.

Cremia, Romani and Joseph were not the only ones that were sunken deeply in their thoughts. Link and Nazran used the time to thank Gorman silently as well. The Hero of Time and the Gerudo are way more able to face the death than the rest. Even though Link was in the body of a twelve-years old boy, he was actually way older than that. Before he was the Hero of Time, he was sealed away for seven years and already had the body of a strong and brave nineteen years old man. And last but not least: He already saved Termina once by repeating the same three days for a couple of months by using his mighty Ocarina of Time. Link was in the body of a twelve-year old boy, but his mind and reasonability can already compete with Cremia, Joseph, Anju and Kafei.

Nazran is a Gerudo – and Gerudo are marauders and thieves and therefore also good fighters. Killing enemies of the Gerudo and stealing from them were nothing new for Nazran, who is actually quite kind-hearted. She was different from other Gerudo. She was not a pure receiver of orders like most of her Gerudo-Comrades. In fact, she was questioning this quite brutal lifestyle. Can you imagine that? A person, who was raised by thieves and killers and lived the same lifestyle for years, began to question all of her comrades and her mighty and brutal leader named Aveil. She was very courageous for even daring to question such a traditional lifestyle. But she knew that her questioning won't change much now. She was the misfit of the Gerudo and knew that but maybe – at some day – maybe her thoughts will change into words, her words into actions, and her actions into the destiny of the Gerudo.

"I guess we should go to sleep now. Let's enter the Potion shop tomorrow" said Nazran while looking deeply into the fire. She was right, maybe the shop was closed and the witches, named Kotake and Koume, were also sleeping.  
Maybe resting their hurting feet again and to recover to be fit for the day after was really the best option. The seven were sated by the juicy bugs and the cooked swamp-water now, so their stomachs needed a pause too.  
Suddenly Romani stood up and walked around the fire pit and sat down next to Link and Joseph.

"Grasshopper? Blueberry? Do you mind if we play Dancing Rancher again before we go to sleep? Romani is sad and needs some company…" asked Romani. Fortunately she always took her cards with her since they started from Clock-Town. Playing some rounds of her own Card-Game would take her mind off things … and that was exactly what she needed.  
"Do you mind if Cremia joins too? Cremia is sad too and need some company as well …" asked Cremia carefully in third person. While she asked, she smiled at her sister. Her sister had a very good idea and the four members of the ranch used the time to have some fun in the darkest hours of Termina. Weeping all day and night because of the catastrophe that haunted Termina wouldn't help them much … and maybe some fun will give them new energy too.

So Cremia, Joseph, Link and Romani were playing "Dancing Rancher" again next to the fire pit while Anju, Kafei and Nazran went to sleep. Maybe it is also a good idea to have someone awake to watch out for possible threats.  
One hour passed and several rounds were played. Playing Romani's card game together was really cheering them up … and to see Romani, Cremia, Link and Joseph smiling and laughing was very rare in those bitter days.  
"Romani miss it to play Dancing Rancher in the Kitchen. Romani loves it so much to play together with Blueberry, Grasshopper and Sister" said Romani.  
"I miss the ranch too, Romani. To milk the cows, to collect the eggs, to make Chateau and to sell it afterwards was always hard work, but I miss it so much…" said Cremia.

After Cremia said that, Joseph put his hand on her shoulder and said:  
"We will rebuild the ranch together after we've defeated the Exigoz, I promise! We will kick their asses and show them who's the boss"  
"Thank you Joseph. I am so glad I met you and Link. Termina now really needs some heroes" replied Cremia. After she said that she looked at Joseph's hand on her shoulder … and she moved it away.  
Strange … didn't Cremia like his attempt for good words? Even though she smiled at him, she didn't seem to like his hand on her shoulder.  
Link did the same. He put a hand on Romani's shoulder and said:  
"The new ranch house will be even more beautiful than the old one, we promise, Romani!"  
After he said that, Romani gave Link a lovely hug.  
"Thank you Grasshopper! We will win for sure!" answered Romani


	23. Swamp, Ocean, Mountain, Canyon

_**Note from the Author: **Heyhey! Happy new 2017 to all of you! Glad to be still active – and I greatly look forward to finish my first book in this year!_

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**{{{ Chapter 23 – Swamp. Ocean. Mountain. Canyon. }}}**

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Southern Swamp (near the Potion-Shop) – Dawn of a new day

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*drip* … *drip* … *drip* … *drip* …  
"Huh? What?…" asked Joseph, while he was slowly waking up. He, Link and the ranch-sisters went to sleep after some more rounds of Dancing Rancher and it didn't need much time to fall asleep.  
He slept with his head facing to the sky – and felt something falling onto his cheeks, so he checked it out with his hands. Felt somehow cold and wet.

After he opened his eyes he identified the origin of the splashes – unfortunately was it rain again.  
_"Ugh, not again…"_ thought Joseph, while he looked to the, still quite dark, sky. "Hmmm… is it already morning or still night? I can't tell …" he whispered to himself, while sitting and looking around.  
He was right. The sky was still too dark to be considered morning, but it was also too bright to be considered night.  
The clouds on the eastern horizon were slightly red while the sky in the west was still dark … seems to be the dawn of a new day – and in this morning the seven got kissed and awakened by Mother Nature herself.

"Is it already time? It felt like ten minutes that I have slept …" asked Anju, who was awake too.  
"Well, it looks like. It is also beginning to rain again, so we shouldn't hesitate to move on" replied Joseph.  
A word and a blow and some of them woke up by themselves – the rest on the other hand had to be waked by Joseph and Anju.  
The Union readied themselves up for their next steps – straight through the muddy swamps.

"Okay guys, listen up! I think … * yawn* … I think we should ask the witch in the Potion Shop first before we go to the Deku-Palace. Maybe she has some useful information for us how we should awake the four giants. Hopefully we can find it out soon, otherwise we won't have a chance…" suggested Nazran and repeated the plan while holding her map.  
"It doesn't look like that Mother Nature is on our side today" spoke Cremia while towards the sky. It already rained a lot.  
"Well, maybe that rain will protect us against the Exigoz like it did before" replied Link.  
"Now after you've mentioned the Exigoz: I wonder what they are waiting for. We saw two drones yesterday but that's all! I mean I'm really, really, **really** glad that they're not attacking, but I guess they have unfortunately planned something bigger than just flying around and killing everything!" said Joseph.  
"Then we should move very quickly! One good thing is that there is already smoke coming from the Potion-Shop, so hopefully that old hag is already awake" replied Nazran.

As soon as she mentioned the smoke that came from the potion shop, Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Kafei, Link, Nazran and Romani went to the shop immediately. Fortunately it wasn't far away. In fact they slept almost next to it, so they only had to walk through the muddy and wet pond that surrounded the shop and climb up a ladder. As soon as they stood all together on top of the platform, Kafei slowly opened the door and looked inside – and indeed sat there an old hag – but she was sleeping!  
Carefully went the seven inside together until they were standing in front of the hag, who supported her head with her tiny hands. Link already knew the potion shop, so he remained silent. For the others, the shop was new. The interior had the probably most unique scent in the air. Smelled like, well, somehow like medicine, which was mixed with the scent of yellow boletuses. Some of the mushrooms smelled sour, some of them smelled sweet and some of them even had a slightly poisonous scent – a strange, unknown scent no one had ever smelt before.

"Uhm … ex-excuse us, Ma'am, can we…" asked Anju carefully while she tugged the sleeve of the witch.  
"Ugh … uhm … erm …" replied the hag while she slowly opened her tired and old eyes. "Oh! By Din, who are you?!" asked the hag after she realized that a group of seven people stood inside her shop. What could they want from her? Robbing her? Buying something? Or were they just old friends that she'd forget?

"Hello Kotake … do you remember me?" asked Link. He was the only one, who should speak with the old hag named Kotake because maybe she remembers him – and fortunately she did. She was about 400 years old but her mind was still intact.  
"Oh yes, of course I do! You are the one that rescued me and my sister before! I remember you but – who are your friends?" replied Kotake.  
"My friends and me, well, together we're the so called 'Union of the Romani-Ranch' – and we need your support!" said Link while introducing his friends to her.  
"The Romani-Ranch … uhm … ah yes … I guess I know that place. But … a Union is new to me. And how can an old hag like me help your … Union? Hehe…" replied Kotake.  
"We're on a mission to rescue Termina from the Exigoz ... I mean those creatures that have already destroyed Clock-Town and several other places in Termina. The only option we have to save Termina is to close the big vortex over Clock-Town – and unfortunately can we only do that by awakening the four giants" said Kafei while he moved next to Link.  
"The four giants you say? Hmmm, erm … ah yes, yes! I have heard about that legend before. But how can I help you?" asked Kotake curiously.

"With your knowledge – maybe…" said Joseph while he moved next to Link and Kafei.  
"With my knowledge? Hmmm erm … well …" said Kotake.  
"Please! Romani and her friends need to know how we can awaken those giants. Does Kotake know something about it?" asked Romani and moved next to Link, Kafei and Joseph as well.  
"To awaken the giants you say? Hmmm … erm … yes … but those are only legends" answered Kotake.  
"Whatever those legends are, we need to know them. The legend of the four giants is true – they were the ones to protect Termina against the moonfall before! So maybe the legend you know is true as well!" said Cremia and moved next to Link, Kafei, Joseph and Romani as well.  
"Wait here … I … I need my book. Otherwise … I can't remember …" said Kotake. She stood up and turned around to search for a book in a drawer – and she found one after the probably longest minutes in the seven's lives! The book with a leather binding was as dusty as the ground beneath Joseph's bed – or as the top of Cremia's shelves were. She blew the dust away – and unfortunately straight into the face of Anju, who had ignored the dust (including the burning pain in her eyes) and silently forgave the old hag.

"Where are my glasses? Uhm … ah … here they are!" said the old hag and put her glasses on. She searched for the right page and the seven slowly lost their patience with every second passing by. The old hag was truly as slow as Anju was, when she spiffed herself up for her husband. Dawdling and wasting time was nothing that made Termina's heroes happy in this moment – but after fifteen more minutes the hag finally found the right page and began to read:

"_The tale of the four giants and the goddesses' artifacts: In those already forgotten times, where the peoples weren't separated into four worlds, lived among the diverse peoples the four giants. (…) On those days of the joyful festivals that celebrates the harvest of Farore's grateful gifts, the giants had spoken to the people: "100 steps to the north, 100 steps into the south, 100 steps far down the east and 100 steps west ahead – those are the beds to be found, where we shall take our rest".  
As the thunder of the people's seperation resounded along those vast landscape of Termina, moved the four giants hand by hand towards their beds and began to sleep until the rise of the dark ones. Before the thunder carried them away, four artifacts were gifted to the four peoples in each one opf the four new worlds.  
The first artifact was given to the Deku, tiny wooden guardians of the swamp and traditional friends of the great mother of nature Farore herself. The giant that rested in the south handed the Deku the Artifact of the Swamp.  
The second artifact was given to the Goron, strong and brave guardians of the mountains and also hardworking masters of the mountain-treasures. The giant of the north have gifted them the Artifact of the Mountain.  
The third one was given to the cultural and graceful guardians of the ocean and graceful traders of wisdom, the Zora. The giant resting in the bed of the west gave the Zora his Artifact of the Ocean.  
The last artifact was given to Igos du Ikana, the darkest king of the prosperous kingdom of Ikana. The giant in the east gave the king the Artifact of the Canyon.  
If the great four are needed again, the artifacts shall be placed in the stony sockets of the giant's beds. Swamp to the Swamp. Mountain to the Mountain. Ocean to the Ocean. Canyon to the Canyon. "_

Those were the words written into the old and dusty book that Kotake just read. So they had to find four artifacts and place them into the matching temple? This means that the old plan to go around Termina and speak to the survivors wasn't so stupid at all. Maybe the Deku, the Goron, the Zora and the king of Ikana will corporate and give them the mighty artifacts.  
"Hmmm. Well, then this means our first station will be the Deku Palace…" said Link.  
"Thank you, Kotake! Romani is glad you helped her and her friends!" said Romani and clapped her hands with a happy mien.  
"Oh … uhm … no problem, young woman. Hehehe …" finished Kotake.

The mission was clear: The Union of the Romani Ranch had to stop the Exigoz by awakening the four giants … and now they also know how they can awake them. Anju gulped and hoped that the other peoples will corporate at all. She knew from her work in the Stock Pot Inn that every one of the four peoples had its own type of character. Like Gerudo were thieves, so were the Deku as traditional as some European countries and lived their own culture. Like Terminans were regular people like we humans are, so were the Goron strong miners and sometimes stubborn like a rock. But also the Zora had their character by being very cultural and sometimes narcissistic people. Anju wasn't sure if they will really corporate, even in times like these.

After they finally understood how they can defeat the Exigoz, they thanked the hag and left the shop again. It was quite tight to put seven people inside a house that was just a few square-meters wide.  
"Alright, I guess if we really have to find a couple of artifacts, then our first station should be at the Deku Palace like Link said. According to my map we have to follow, uhm … this path over here!" said Nazran and pointed to the south while holding her map. She was right – there was a path that leads through rocks and swamp-forest.  
"Let's hope that the swamp won't be too swampy. I really, really, **really** do not want to sink in deep mud …" said Joseph and gulped.

While following the path to the swamp, they soon got soaked by a massive rain once again – and unfortunately made the rain the ground even more muddy and tasty for earthworms and other insects. The clouds even shroud the sunlight and gave the swamp a slightly darker atmosphere.  
Anju and Joseph were the last ones of the marching group and the ones that were watching out for dangers from behind.  
"That swamp is so disgusting. I don't really like those big and scary bugs and my feet will get soaked in mud because I have only my normal shoes on …" said Anju to Joseph.  
"Well … I guess getting dirty is the least evil. I am tired of spiders and bugs too … but we have no other choice, Anju. Oh … and thank you again for the shoes that you gave me. They helped me a lot in the mountains" replied Joseph and looked at his shoes. True, Anju gave him better shoes instead of his awful sneakers.  
"No problem Joseph, I am glad that they …" said Anju … but she got interrupted by a highly pitched sound that flew over their heads.

"Oh no … that sounds like business …" said Joseph while looking into Anju's scared eyes. The drones, they were already here and threatened the lives of the seven members of the Union once again. The highly pitched sound was flying over their heads and that sound always caused a fear of death for a good …  
***boom*** … could be heard from afar and the ground trembled slightly. The explosion was not in their sights, nor was it very loud.


	24. The Death Marshes

**Notes from the Author: **Another thing I try to avoid or fix in my quick overhauls is the usage of the word "our" and "hero(es)" as well as the many "..."'s. In the old version of the Cosmic Gate I used terms like "our Joseph", "our Cremia" or "our heroes" a couple of times. I did that on purpose, since I planned to give the narrator an interesting role – and the narrator should have revealed himself as one of the characters, but thankfully have I thrown that idea away.  
The word hero or heroes sounds extremely cheesy when used too often. In dialogues it's okay to use it here and there, so heroes got replaced with something more fitting.  
My older self used three dots in a row as a pause of speak. I've only known this break before – until someone of you taught me that "..."'s are usually used for a long pause of speech. Now I use comma's for short breaks, double-hyphens "–" as a medium break and three dots as a long break.

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**{{{ Chapter 24 - The Death Marshes }}}**

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Southern Swamp – Morning

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"Ok Anju, whatever that was: It means nothing good" said Joseph while looking into Anju's scared eyes. The rest of the group looked around as well. What could those Exigoz have destroyed now?  
Anju and Joseph both moved back together with the others and both looked around the corner – and what they saw was sorrowful indeed. The old hag's potion shop got destroyed by one of the two drones that flew around. Maybe the smoke attracted them or the very special scent caused by the smoke but whatever attracted them to eradicate another form of life, the Union lost another hero – the old hag named Kotake.

"This is so sad. They destroy everything!" said Anju sadly and some tears flowed down her red cheeks. Nobody really understood why this insectile and technologically advanced nation named Exigoz do something like this after our heroes saw the burning debris of the shop.  
Why has a technologically advanced nation like the Exigoz seem to be grief so badly for materials in another worlds – followed by bloodshed and destruction?

However the answer to this question was, there was no time to waste or to drown in sorrow right now. If the drones had spotted them, every one of our heroes would have had big problems immediately. And the drones didn't seem to be their only problem…  
"Oh my … what in the name of Nayru?" said Cremia while they saw probably one of the oddest things on this day. Two smaller vortexes appeared out of nowhere – glowing vortexes that shined in a bright purple like some of the drones as well as the Cosmic Gate did. Those vortexes – they were the same kind of technology, yet in a smaller magnitude.  
But the vortexes were their smallest problem. Out of those two gates crawled two of the six-legged beasts.  
Yes, I am talking about the same kind of beast that threatened Link, Joseph, Romani, Cremia and Nazran in the Milk-Road before by shooting energy-projectiles out of its head.  
Fortunately the two drones and the two shock-troopers didn't spot our heroes and only looked around the debris of the potion-shop.

"I guess it is time to run again, but silently! Like we did in the Cave of the Blind Hunters…" said Romani.  
"They didn't spot us so far, so we should move quickly and don't draw their attention on us" said Kafei.  
"And both at the same time!" added Anju.

After they saw the Exigoz' scout-team and sneaked along the path to the southern swamp, our heroes arrived at the place, where a pier made out of wood was standing in the dirty swamp-water. Also our heroes were standing beneath a sign that said "To the Magic Hag's Potion-Shop" in Terminan letters. To the left was swampy and dirty water and a waterfall within a small tunnel. To the right was even more swampy and dirty water, several dense plants and a pile of burnt, wooden debris, which was the Swamp Tourist Center Guide (or what was left from it).

"Ok let's see, where are we now?" asked Nazran while she held her map in front of her.  
"Nazran, we have to go over here!" said Link and pointed to the left. Link knew the swamps better than everyone else. Even though most people knew him for just a few days in Termina, he actually lived for several months in Termina. Time travelling made it possible.  
"Are you sure?" asked Nazran doubtfully.  
"Yes. If we go through the swamp water and past the waterfall, we will arrive at the Deku-Palace very soon. Otherwise we have to go a long way round" replied Link.  
"But Grasshopper, Romani still can't swim…" said Romani.  
"Oh – right. The swamp water is too deep for us younger ones, but I know that an adult can go through the water easily…" said Link. He was right. When Link had used his Zora-Mask, he was tall enough to walk through the water but when he didn't use it, he could only swim through the water.

"Well, if you say so – then I'll try it out…" said Joseph. He put his Smartphone and his wallet out of his pocket, put it in his backpack, just to be sure nothing gets wet, and he slowly moved into the dirty and stinky swamp water, step by step.  
"Damn, that water smells – but it's warm – and the ground seems to be solid enough too, so I guess Link is right…" said Joseph while standing in the swampy water. Joseph was as tall as Cremia, Anju, Kafei and Nazran and the water reached up to his stomach, so the others can stand in the water too. He moved out of the water and his clothes were dirty and covered in several leafs and other things that swam on the surface of the water.

"Hmmm, I think two of us adults should carry one of the young ones. Maybe that will do it until we can make it to the Deku-Palace" suggested Kafei.  
"Romani wants to be carried by sister!" said Romani and hugged her sister's skirt. "What about you, Grasshopper?" asked Romani.  
"I uhm … I can swim" replied Link to Romani's question.  
"Nah come on. I don't mind if I carry you, Link" said Joseph to Link, who hesitated at first, but then humbly answered with "why not?".

The elder ones in the Union carried the two youngsters through the dirty and intensively smelling swamp towards the Deku Palace. Romani sat on Cremia's shoulders and Link sat on Joseph's shoulders while Nazran, Kafei and Anju didn't carry any younger one.  
"Oh my … that swamp water – it feels so weird…" said Cremia, while the rest already had moved slowly through the water that had reached up to the bottom of Cremia's breasts.  
"I don't care that the water is warm, but the disgusting thing is that smell…" replied Anju and was right.  
Indeed stunk the swamp intensive. It had the same scent as the Darkwood-Forest – the smell of a wet forest in the early morning – but the swamp had this smell in a much more intense way. The ugly thing about the scent was mainly the part that it had also smelled like a mixture of rotten trees, rotten animals and even rotten eggs. A true festival of senses.

"Be careful about that waterfall, we can shower another time…" said Nazran, while the seven passed the waterfall, which was beneath a smaller cave. The cave-tunnel that leads to a wide and open field with even more swamp was quite tight, so they had no other choice to get soaked by the waterfall.  
"Hmmm … strange. Is it just me or is it raining even more since we passed that tunnel?" asked Cremia while looking around.  
She was right, the rain became stronger and stronger and the swamp-walkers got soaked from the top to the bottom in just a few seconds. Such intense raining was usually only coming together with–

***boom*** … could be heard from afar, but this time it was fortunately not an energy projectile. It was thunder!  
"Oh great – a thunderstorm. Just what we needed!" said Joseph sarcastically.  
Some of the lightning brightened the actually quite dark swamp sometimes and the heavy rain soaked our heroes even more … hopefully nobody will get a cold!  
"Quiet!" whispered Nazran and pointed up to the sky. "Don't move. Look up in the sky!"  
Over the heads flew two purple shining Exigoz-drones at some points. They circled in the sky twice – like vultures that were waiting for an easy meat.  
The seven trembled a lot while standing in the stinky water – either because of fear, or because of the cold rain, which coolness got only compensated by the warmth of the swamp water. But after the dangerous drones flew their circles with their highly-pitched sounds again, they flew towards Woodfall once again. Was Mother Nature on the side of the seven again? Did the storm help them to shroud in the swampy water?

But there was no time for questions, they had to move or otherwise they would have been pulverized by energy-projectiles soon. Step by step moved our heroes carefully through the swampy water and they felt how the muddy ground got squeezed by their feet. Particularly Anju felt the mud beneath her feet because she wore brief, elegant shoes. Joseph wore a pair of shoes that was made for climbing in the mountains, the rest of the group simply wore boots. But however, they moved slowly and carefully through the wide and open field, while getting soaked by heavy rain and the disgusting swamp-water that hugged the bottoms of every adult.

*quack* … said a frog before jumping onto Joseph's shoulder. A big frog gazed with huge eyes into Joseph's. He got scared by the sudden jump of the frog at first.  
"Hehehe, hello little frog!" spoke Joseph to his tiny new friend and shrugged his shoulders. The frog jumped back into the water again. The frog was harmless – but still frightening, because frogs aren't usually twice the size in Joseph's world.  
*quack* … *quack* … said two other frogs after they jumped out of the water. One of them was blue and landed onto a big lily pad. The other one was green and landed onto Anju's shoulder.  
"Waaah … go away!" squeeked Anju and pushed the frog off her shoulder, causing it to land with its four legs facing the ground into the water again.  
These waters were probably the home of some frogs and they wanted to look who is stomping through their living room.

"Oh no. Come on! Argh … can somebody help me, please?" asked Cremia – but what was wrong? She looked actually quite normal.  
"What's wrong, Cremia?" asked Link, who still sat on Joseph's shoulders.  
"I'm stuck. I can't move anymore" she replied. Cremia was stuck in a spot with deep mud and one of her feet was sunken into it completely. That was a problem for sure and Romani, who sat on Cremia's shoulders, slightly became nervous as well.  
"Wait … I'll help you" spoke Nazran.  
"Wait Nazran, I'll help too" said Kafei and joined Nazran in helping Cremia as well.

Nazran took Cremia's left hand while Kafei took Cremia's right hand. Both pulled and pulled and pulled – and fortunately Cremia could move again after she nearly felt together with Romani into the muddy water. Fortunately she kept her balance.  
Nazran wasn't so lucky with that, because her pulling caused her to fall and land into the water.

After a couple of seconds she was standing up again – but was covered in mud, leafs and several, unidentifiable, other things that swam around in those waters. Fortunately it was raining, so the mud and the dirt flowed down to the water again.

This happened a few meters before another tunnel – and after they finally passed through that tunnel the Deku-Palace (or at least its entrance) was already within their sights.  
_"Whoa, what was that!?"_ though Joseph and felt something small and greasy touching his right leg.  
The seven moved step by step towards that entrance and finally felt solid and save ground beneath their feet again. Another pier was next to the Union. Behind it was the entrance to the Deku-Palace, which had been damaged by the Exigoz already.  
The younger ones could finally stand on their own feet again and the older ones can free their shoulders again. Everything beneath the chests of them was dirty and their clothes smelled the same as the water.

They took their boots and shoes and emptied them from the water. Joseph's eyebrows rose and he laughed after he saw that a small, blue fish fell out of his right shoe. Probably he went away on a trip by taking Joseph's shoe as a Taxi.  
"Finally we're here. If I must smell that swamp water for one more minute, I will vomit" said Anju.  
Everyone took a deep breath and all seven finally went through the gate that leads to the Deku-Palace.


	25. Hide and Seek

**{{{ Chapter 25 – Hide and Seek }}}**

* * *

Near the Deku-Palace – About Noon

* * *

"True that, Nazran! That water was really disgusting …" replied Anju to Nazran's disgusted comment.  
Fortunately there was no more mud or stinky water for the seven in this moment, which was something that everyone was happy about. Additionally it was also still raining a lot, so their clothes got cleaned automatically – a nice service of the goddess Farore.  
Also hopefully that ugly smell will go away too because no normal person would talk to them if they smell so badly. These were the, quite insignificant, worries that they had shared to each other while they went through the gate that connects the swamp with the Deku-Palace.

After a few seconds, the seven stood in front of the big and majestic Deku-Palace.  
"This view ... it's so pretty, yet sad at the same time" spoke Anju.  
"What does Miss Anju mean?" asked Romani.  
"The palace is beautiful and majestic – but do you see the right side of it?" replied Anju.  
"Hmmm, you're right. It seems like that those Exigoz were faster again, unfortunately…" said Nazran after she saw what Anju meant. The right side of the palace was destroyed nearly completely and only piles of burnt debris were left. Were their hopes to find their first artifact gone? If the palace is destroyed, then the Deku might be dead too. The Union was pausing for a short moment. Well, not everyone did this to be exact.

"Hmmm … strange. Can you see it?" asked Joseph, while looking at the palace.  
"I think I do. Well that means…" responded Link to Joseph's question.  
"What does Blueberry and Grasshopper mean?" asked Romani. Everyone was curious about Joseph's and Link's answer and what they have seen.  
"Somehow only the right side of the palace is destroyed. The rest of the palace is quite intact, so maybe some of the Deku should still be alive" said Link.  
"Oh my! You're right" commented Cremia and Kafei added: "I guess we should take a look then."

A word and a blow and they went straight inside the Deku-Palace. There were no guardians that defended the entrance this time. Usually Link got stopped by two of the guardians but this time the Deku-Plants were empty. While the Union went through the corridor that leads straight into the throne-room, they also looked to the left and the right courtyards. The eyes of Joseph and Link were not betrayed. The left courtyard was intact and still as beautiful as it should be – but the right courtyard was destroyed completely and it was filled with burnt debris and corpses of Deku-Guardians that tried to defend the palace against that overpowered new enemy before.

"What are those dead creatures?" asked Joseph as he looked at one of the dead guardians. The guardian was small – even smaller than Romani, who was quite short compared to the adults. The guard had a big nose that looked like a wooden pipe and his (or her) skin was as hard as wood. On its top were several green and brown leafs and so was the body covered in such leafs. If the guardian had been still alive, he would have looked quite cute.  
"Those creatures are Dekus, my dear Joseph…" explained Anju in a confused way. Why did he ask such a rude question?  
"Wow, interesting. I've never seen a Deku before. Termina really seems to have a big variety of species doesn't it?" said Joseph. Of course he hasn't seen a Deku before. Even though he rode to Clock-Town several times together with Cremia, Romani and Link he had never faced a Deku or a Zora.

But however, now it was not the right time for cultural exchange. Nazran ordered the rest of the Union to hurry up and follow her into the palace. A word and a blow and all of the seven heroes stood in a huge room – called the Royal Chamber to be exact. But something was wrong with it.  
"Nobody's in here…" mentioned Link and looked around with the other ones. The room was as empty and dark as the author's humor. Usually the Royal Chamber was always filled with guardians and several other Deku – but now it was empty.  
"Hello? Helloooo? Is anybody in here? We are your allies!" shouted Romani around.  
Shouting was probably not a good idea. It could alarm the Exigoz if there are any in the near – but they had no other option, because maybe there were some of the Deku left.  
Everyone looked around and searched and searched and searched … left, right, front, back, up and down – but nothing. Or was there really nothing?

"Oh my, look over here!" said Cremia and alarmed the Union. Everybody turned to her and went next to Cremia, who pointed at the ground.  
"What's wrong? I don't see anything" asked Joseph and scratched his head.  
"I don't see anything either, sis" said Romani and looked at Cremia with her big blue eyes in curiosity.  
"Something moved over there! I'm absolutely sure" answered Cremia with widely opened eyes and a slightly scared voice.  
Joseph, Romani and Link went to the place where she pointed at. Cremia noticed a movement on the left side of the palace and there was a big leaf lying around on the sandy floor. And this leaf really moved? How?

"This leaf over there?" asked Joseph and pointed at the huge leaf. Cremia nodded and was very curious what caused the movement – and so were Anju, Kafei, Nazran, Romani and Link.  
Joseph, Link and Kafei used their manpower to lift the huge leaf because it was a really heavy one … like some kind of a heavy carpet … but that was no problem for the strong men.  
"Hmmm … interesting …" commented Link and everyone in the Union was surprised about the small wooden trapdoor that was hidden beneath the huge green leaf.  
"You have a good eye, Cremia. Thank you" spoke Joseph to Cremia..

"I wonder what's down there…" asked Anju.  
"Let's find it out then!" said Kafei, grabbed the trapdoor and opened it. Out of the trapdoor came a scent that smelled a lot like dry leafs in an autumn evening – but more intensely. But not only a scent came out of it, also a voice spoke in a very scared way and the voice came also out of the hole.  
"Oh no, they f-found us! Quick! Run inside!" said the voice and a lot of footsteps could be heard afterwards. Link recognized the voice somehow, so he jumped down the hole and shouted: "Wait! We're not your enemies!"  
"Grasshopper! Don't go without Romani!" shouted Romani and jumped down.

The older ones with the name Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Nazran and Kafei went down the hole as well but the hole was very small and they had to crawl afterwards because the tunnel down there was so small. Even the younger ones had to crouch in this tight tunnel. The young members of the Union, namely Link and Romani chased the origin of the voice and the steps for about ten minutes and the older ones reunited with the younger ones after another twenty minutes of crouching and crawling.  
Link and Romani were standing in another big room that was hidden beneath the surface of the Deku-Palace – a place that none of them had seen before. This time the room was not empty thought.

"P-please … spare us! Take what you want but s-spare us! Please…" said one of the mysterious persons that trembled next to the heroes. Romani took her bow and arrows and laid it on the ground. Link drew his sword and laid it on the ground.  
This was a sign to the scared people that the youngsters came in peace. Nobody had to be afraid of them.  
"We come in peace! You don't have to be afraid. We're warriors for justice in Termina" spoke Romani in a calm voice. Were she and her little green friend indeed harmless allies? Well, if that's the case…

"Oh … are you – allies?" asked the trembling pile of brown leafs and revealed its true nature.  
It was a Deku – no wait! – a lot of Dekus to be exact! Six, seven, eight, nine … even more!  
So many of the Deku survived the attack by hiding beneath the surface in this … cave?  
"Yes of course we're friends" said Romani and smiled at the Deku that were next to her.  
"T-Then everything is fine … we got attacked and … and we lost a lot of friends … we are so scared …" said one of the Deku-Guardians to Romani and the others.  
"Romani understands. We lost a lot of friends too … and we fight **them** at all cost!" said Romani to the Deku. The young members of the Union introduced themselves to the Deku-Survivors while the older ones crouched through the small cave and finally reunited with the younger ones.

After about one hour of introducing and sharing the bloody happenings in the last days another well known voice could be heard from behind:  
"Sir Link! I am glad you came to us!" said this voice. Every one of the seven turned around and they saw probably the most beautiful Deku they'd ever seen. It was the Deku Princess that Link had helped earlier.


	26. The Artifact of the Swamp

**{{{ Chapter 26 – The Artifact of the Swamp }}}**

* * *

Beneath the Deku-Palace – Afternoon

* * *

"Hello dear princess. The pleasure is all mine" spoke Link and bowed in front of the Deku-Princess, who bowed back. The Princess seemed to have as much respect for Link as he had for her, which was actually quite unusual for a princess in Termina.  
"I'm glad you came to us, because – well – we got attacked and also desire for help. Oh and I see you brought some friends! With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" asked the young princess and shook the hands of every one of the seven.  
"Together we're the Union of the Romani-Ranch – and friends to everyone, who wants to bring peace to Termina" replied Romani with a smile. The young redhead had never thought about speaking to such an important person in her life before. What an honor!

"So you are knights? I guess you might be a gift from the goddesses!" said an unknown voice behind the princess. But this voice was known to Link as well. It was the butler – the most loyal servant of all the Deku-Royals.  
"Well, if you say so. Hehehe…" replied Kafei and laughed slightly. It was funny to consider the Union already as knights.  
"We can really need the help of some brave warriors. Like all other peoples got we attacked by those strange flying creatures as well as magical huge insects! But fortunately my father ordered to build those catacombs, so we could hide from those overpowered creatures" said the young Deku-Princess.

"Mrs. Princess, may Romani ask you something?" asked Romani.  
"Who is Romani? And yes, she may ask" asked the princess. She didn't understand that Romani spoke in third person. Nobody really understood why she's doing this, not even her own sister.  
"I'm Romani of course! If you are the princess, then where is the king?" asked Romani. Her question caused the princess to look down on the ground – sadly.  
"The king … he is…" began the princess, pointed towards the crowd of Dekus and finished with: "…over here …"

The Deku-Crowd moved away and everything the seven members of the Union saw was the king sleeping in a bed. Was he sleeping – or was he dead? Hard to read out of the wooden mien of a Deku.  
"The intruders killed him while he tried to defend the palace at all cost" said the princess.  
Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Kafei, Link, Nazran and Romani paused for a moment and shared the sadness of the princess, the butler and the other Deku.  
"If there is a way to revenge the death of my father, then I will do whatever I can to give those dishonorable creatures their right penalty!" spoke the Deku-Princess – who had become a Deku-Queen.  
"Well … actually there is a way to take revenge to them and to save Termina …" explained Link and put his right hand onto her left shoulder.  
"R-Really?" asked the princess and looked at Link with a first glimmer of hope.

"Well, yes! We're going through Termina and want to awaken the four giants again to defeat **them**" said Romani and put her left hand on her right shoulder. Grasshopper and Redleaf ignited the flame of hope in the princess, who was too stumped for an answer in this dangerous situation.  
The princess smiled and asked: "The four giants you say? Can they … really defeat them?"  
Now it was time for the older ones to speak. Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Kafei and Nazran moved a few steps forward, kneed down to the princess and told them more about the situation. They told her and the Dekus about the Cosmic Gate, about the connection between each Exigoz and how the closed Portal will kill every Exigoz immediately.

"I understand. But I don't really understand how we can help you in your quest" asked the princess.  
"There is this one special thing that we need to awaken the giant of the swamp" said Link to the princess.  
The princess looked at her butler, who looked back at her. Both shared an asking glimpse at each other with widely opened eyes. Where they really asking for … for **it**?  
The princess then turned to Sir Link and the Union of the Romani Ranch.  
"You mean the Swamp-Artifact, our most precious treasure?" asked the princess and Link nodded.  
The princess looked at her butler and her people again. Was it a good idea to give the artifact to the Union? Her father, the king of the Deku would have never handed out the artifact to anyone. It was a gift from the giant himself. But the princess thought for a second. Was it a good idea to be as stubborn as her father … or should she trust the Union?

"Follow me!" said the princess to her newest allies. She ran through another small corridor that was hidden on the backside of the catacombs. Fortunately those rooms were lighted quite well because several torches stood next to the walls.  
After about forty-five minutes of walking through the tight corridors of the catacombs, the seven arrived at a big and thick door made out of stone. This place was hidden so well, nobody would've ever found that place if the Deku-Princess hadn't helped the seven before.  
Three of the guardians stood in front of the gate and the princess ordered them to "open the gate!"

"But my dear princess … is it really a good idea to trust these fellows? I mean what if they just want to steal **it**?" asked the butler.  
"I know what I am doing, just trust me, ok?" replied the princess to her doubtful butler.  
The guardians of the most precious treasure of the Deku opened the big stony gate and the seven arrived in another room which was filled with tons of rupees, some diamonds and some other treasures that belonged to the Deku-Royals.  
"This is the treasure-chamber. I … I acknowledge you as trustful friends of the Deku and as our allies, so in this case of emergency, we should work together instead of distrusting at each other" said the princess.

Every one of the seven was smitten with amazement – nobody of them had ever seen a room which was filled with so many treasures. The Deku were quite rich … well … at least the royals.  
"Huh? What the …?" asked Joseph himself suddenly while the seven looked around.  
"What's wrong, Joseph?" asked Nazran, who stood next to Joseph, and looked at him with expectancy.  
"Didn't you feel that?" asked Joseph.  
"What do you mean? I didn't feel anything" answered Nazran. What could Joseph have meant?  
"The ground trembled. Felt like a small earthquake. Didn't you feel that too?" asked Joseph but Nazran shook her head.  
Joseph shrugged his shoulders and ignored the slight tremble. Maybe it was really just a small earthquake or hopefully just fantasy.

The Deku-Princess pulled a rope and a curtain moved away … and the seven saw **it**. The probably most beautiful piece of crystal someone can ever imagine … glowing in a calming and powerful green and shaped like two pyramids together with a glowing ball of energy in its center. It was the mighty artifact of the swamp … a gift from the giant himself.  
"This is the swamp artifact …" said the princess but she got interrupted by her butler again.  
"But my dear princess … it is written that only true knights of the Deku can get this artifact in cases of emergency …" said the butler and remembered her to the old Deku traditions.  
"Well … if that's the case …" said the princess and went in front of the seven. She ordered them to kneel down … but why?

"Miss Anju Dotour … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku"  
"Miss Cremia Romani … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku"  
"Sir Joseph Kaminski … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku"  
"Sir Kafei Dotour … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku"  
"Sir Link … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku"  
"Miss Nazran Tumarkis … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku"  
"Miss Romani Romani … I acknowledge you as a knight of the Deku" said the princess to them while she put one of her leafs on their head … which was a symbol of trust.  
The butler looked at the princess doubtfully after she acknowledged the kind-hearted Anju, the brave Cremia, the curious Joseph, the honest Kafei, the courageous Link, the savvy Nazran and the fortitude Romani as knights of the Deku.  
She finished the short knight ceremony with the traditional words: "Save our souls, save it now for a better life. No time to break because time is now flying on and on. But if you want to believe in a better life, find a way, try now, come together with a smile"

"But … princess …" tried the butler to say but he got silenced by the princess this time. She had complete confidence towards her seven heroes and acknowledged their plan as help for her people and for whole Termina.  
"I am okay with bringing the artifact to the Woodfall-Temple together with you. Hopefully this will awaken the giant and save Termina" said the princess, took the shiny and beautiful artifact in her tiny hands and went back to the entrance of the catacombs together with the seven, the butler and the three Deku-Guardians. While they moved step by step, Joseph recognized another weaker earthquake … this time Nazran was watching out for tremor too and she recognized it too, so Joseph was not fantasizing before. What were those earthquakes?

After one and a half hours of walking, they arrived at the trapdoor that connected the Royal Chamber with the secret catacombs of the Deku … finally no dark and dirty caverns anymore. The catacombs reminded Romani and Joseph to the Cave of the Blind Hunters … but fortunately they didn't have to run or fear for their lives this time … and no darkness or spider this time!  
Romani was the first one of the group that wanted to climb out of the hole. Everyone waited until she climbed out but she only looked out of the hole and saw something …

Romani immediately jumped back into the hole and was pale and scared … and her eyes were opened widely.  
"What's wrong, Romani?" asked Cremia her little sister in a worried voice … but she didn't answer and only held her index finger in front of her mouth … which was the international hand symbol for "shut up".  
"Please be quiet … don't make noises …" whispered Romani in a scared voice and tried to push the group back into the corridor. What the heck? What did she see?  
So they sneaked back. The princess and Anju asked Romani what was wrong … but every time they asked her, she silenced them and told them to be quiet.  
After they were back in the room, where they met the princess before, they could speak again.

"Romani now please tell us, what is wrong?" asked Joseph in a curious but also scared voice.  
"**T-They** are here …" said Romani silently and in an even more scared voice.  
"You mean the Exigoz?" asked Anju and Romani nodded carefully.  
"Romani saw two of the six-legged b-beasts and the entrance is d-destroyed completely … and **they **are searching for us" said Romani.  
"Oh no … not good …" said Link and everyone looked at each other.  
They also heard two highly-pitched sounds flying over the palace … but fortunately quite weakly because they were still in the underground and save in the catacombs. It seems the scouts of the Exigoz were after them.  
The rest of the Deku became scared too and began to tremble like a pile of leafs in a stormy autumn afternoon.

"Well … if they are here … then we have to go another way" said the princess.  
Everyone looked at each other again and the princess said "Follow me!" once more for this day.

* * *

_The two Terminan human ranchers Cremia Romani and Romani Romani will return as Chirma Rhaskal and Rhamony Rhaskal, together with an entirely new, third sister named Sirfona Rhaskal. I decided to keep the names similar to their predecessors.  
German speakers, keep your eyes open when the true Cosmic Gate will open for the first time in December 2017!_


	27. Whispers of Woodfall

**{{{ Chapter 27 – Whispers of Woodfall }}}**

* * *

Beneath the Deku-Palace – A few hours before dusk

* * *

"Miss Princess! Miss Princess! Where are we going?" asked Romani full of curiosity the young Deku-Princess, while stepping through another tight corridor. Two of the Exigoz' Shock-Troopers and two of the Exigoz' Drones were searching the palace for remaining life forms, so the direct way to Woodfall was no option. Fortunately the cunning Deku had built an underground system for exactly such cases of siege.  
The princess said that she knows another way … but where does this way end?  
"Miss Romani, we're going to a hidden exit" replied the princess to the curious rancher, while the seven crouched along with the princess and her loyal butler through the tight corridor.

"And where is this exit?" asked Nazran, the main navigator of the Union.  
"The exit is on a small island, right next to the Swamp-Spider-House beneath a big bush. This place is hidden so well, they cannot find us there. We'll then head towards Woodfall through the swamp without risking to get spotted" replied the Deku-Princess.  
"Oh great. Spider house sounds very welcoming..." responded Joseph. Maybe he has developed a deep arachnophobia during his journey through Termina.  
"Oh great. The swamp water again…" spoke Anju. But no time for such trifles. It was the right time to suppress the disgust and move on!

After about half an hour, the seven finally arrived at the hidden exit of the Deku-Palace and as the princess said, it was really on a tiny island next to the swamp spider house. The exit can't be seen from the outsides, because the top of the wooden trapdoor was covered by earth, moss and a bush as dense as Anju's mother beneath her skirt.  
While Kafei carefully opened the trapdoor, some water had flowed down and soaked the heads of Cremia and Romani, who both had stood next to Kafei – but it was fortunately not the dirty and stinky swamp-water. It was rain that had soaked the ground. It rained like a powerful, lukewarm shower.  
"I've never seen such intense raining in my life before …" commented Cremia, while her wild hair got soaked.  
"The rain is our smallest problem now" said Nazran after everyone climbed out of the small hole in the ground.  
"What does Nazran mean?" asked Romani.  
"It's getting dark again. Only a few hours remain until the sun cloaks and the moon rises"  
"I don't even think that the rain will be a problem at all, quite the contrary would I say. It had helped us a lot to remain unseen" commented Joseph.

"Okay knights. We're next to the spider house now, so we have to go over … there!" spoke the princess and pointed towards the waterfall that came out of the tall, purple, volcano-like mountain with the lovely name Woodfall. This mountain contained the Woodfall-Temple – a sacred place for every Deku. Hopefully the Exigoz didn't destroy it too!  
The Deku-Princess held the shiny artifact of the swamp within her tiny hands and her butler opened his umbrella for her – being royal gave her truly some luxury that our humble heroes didn't had.  
"I can jump from lily pad to lily pad, but I guess you have to go through the water" said the Deku-Princess.  
Nobody was really happy with that decision. The water stunk and was so dirty, not to mention the mud, the fishes and the frogs between and beneath their feet – Yuk!  
But there was no other chance, so Romani sat on Cremia's shoulders and Link on Joseph's shoulders again, while Nazran, Anju and Kafei had nobody to carry.

Step by step went the seven through the stinky water again and fortunately they didn't have to go for so long this time. While the seven went through the swamp again, the sun slowly disappeared in the horizon. Darkness was upon them.  
The Deku-Princess jumped over the water from lily pad to lily pad, which had surprised Joseph again. He began to laugh as he saw the princess jumping.  
"What's so funny, Joseph?" asked Link, who sat on his shoulders.  
"Those physics never fail to surprise me…" replied Joseph.  
"What are physics?" asked Link. Joseph replied with: "Not so important, Link. Not so important"

After another forty minutes of getting soaked by the swamp water and the rain, the seven arrived at the waterfall that was coming from Woodfall. There were some vines on the bold cliff, so the seven and the two Deku grabbed the vines and climbed up the steep cliff step by step. The drones that shined purple were still patrolling around the palace – but fortunately the rain and the darkness shroud the seven and their allies once again to remain unseen like a Grasshopper in the wildest grasslands.  
More minutes of climbing passed by until they stood in Woodfall – and the water there was surprisingly clean and clear compared to the water down the swamp. Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Link and Nazran had jumped inside the clear water to clean themselves again. Even though they were wet and cold afterwards, the tingly feeling of mud and dirt went away fortunately.

The Woodfall Temple was in their sights and the seven went step by step towards the platform, where Link had activated the Temple before with the "Sonata of Awakening". Anju, Cremia, Joseph, Kafei, Link, Nazran, Romani, the Deku-Princess and her butler stood on the platform, which had the logo of the Deku on it, which was the sign that this Temple was a sacred place to the Deku.  
"Well, what now? I don't see any bridge that brings us towards the temple" spoke Nazran and looked with expectancy at the Deku-Princess.  
"Patience, Miss Nazran. You don't, but I do!" replied the princess and moved on top of a big flower with purple and green leafs – calles a Deku-Flower to be exact. Link knew what the princess meant while the rest of the Union remained in confusion.  
"I'll now bring the artifact inside the temple and lay it onto the stone base. Hopefully will this awaken the giant and aid you in your quest" said the princess to the Union and turned to the temple again. The green artifact of the swamp was hidden so well and the princess saved them from the Exigoz by trusting them and leading them through the secret catacombs.

***plop*** … was the sound that the flower had made after it disgorged the princess high into the air. She was now holding two big flowers in midair that acted like some kind of helicopters – a very interesting kind of technology thought Joseph again. She used those flowers to fly towards the temple and land straight inside of it. A useful technique of the Deku that had also surprised Nazran. The seven saw that the princess entered the temple together with her loyal butler while they were still standing on the platform. Now they had to wait for the princess.  
"I really, really, **really** hope this works. Legends are not facts, you know?" Joseph worried.  
"Why not? The legend of the four giants is true! I have seen them with my own eyes!" responded Kafei.  
"Most, if not all, legends in my world aren't true. Too many fake stories about Bigfoot, flying saucers, the Illuminati and other conspiracy bullshit are told in my world and none of them are true!" said Joseph to Kafei.  
"We can only hope and pray to the mighty goddesses that they will aid us in our quest once more" prayed the pious Cremia.  
"Well, if you say so" responded Joseph and rolled his eyes. He didn't believe in the tale called god either.  
"Romani is so glad that the princess helped us so much. We wouldn't be so far now if she did not help us" said Romani and the group nodded.  
Joseph was thinking for two minutes. He turned to Cremia and he came to a new conclusion:  
"Well, I guess you and Kafei are right. Termina is not like the place where I come from. Female pirates, magic, plenty of different species that are as intelligent as humans and the lack of technology that gets compensated by other technology or the usage of magic. Maybe the legends are true, because Termina is so … different" said Joseph to Cremia.

"Why are you so surprised by magic?" asked Link and smiled at Joseph.  
"Well, actually there is no such thing as magic. Most magicians in my world are pure bullshit and are only able to trick your eyes" replied Joseph.  
"Here in Termina, theoretically everyone can learn to use magic. But it takes much practice and is very hard to learn. Some have a talent for it and some fail hardly in learning it" said Link.  
"It is also strange for me that the Deku can jump over the water surface or use flowers to fly. But also is it strange that the mountains are so icy and the ocean is quite warm while the altitude-difference is actually not that high. I also wonder what the difference between me, Nazran and Cremia is" asked Joseph.  
Termina truly had some wonders and things that would confuse every normal human being like we are. But what was the difference between a poor red-haired rancher with bright skin and long ears, a daunting, yet beautiful, strong pirate with dark skin, red hair, yellow eyes and round ears and a regular human like Joseph?  
"Well, Nazran and I are woman – and you're not" said Cremia and laughed together with Joseph and the others.  
"Nah I don't mean the gender, Cremia. I mean what is the difference between a human, a Gerudo and a Terminan? The only difference that I can see are the ears and the skin-color" replied Joseph.

"I can explain the Gerudo to you if you want. We are distinguishing from the Terminans by being all female. We can also only bear females – and we are quite feisty and deceitful" said Nazran to Joseph.  
"Hmm, now after you mentioned it. Yes, I can only remember females in the Pirate-Fortress. Wait … uhm … only females you say? But …" asked Joseph and Nazran nodded. "But how do you propagate and make babies then?" asked Joseph confusedly.  
"The same way you do of course!" she replied and laughed. "But usually we take the men because you wait way too long."  
"Oh … that's why … oh … now I understand …" said Joseph with widely opened eyes. His words and realization caused Nazran to laugh.

"Romani always thought that Joseph is just a Terminan with round ears. Romani is confused right now. What is Joseph?" asked Romani. He kneed down to Romani and looked into her eyes.  
"Hmmm…" he began, while checking out Romani's cute face and her long ears. He stood up and looked into Cremia's face and the faces of Anju, Kafei and Link as well.  
"Well, maybe _I am_ just a Terminan with round ears…" said Joseph to Romani and laughed slightly. "Or a Gerudo with a strange pigmentation."  
"Let's consider him as a Terminan" said Cremia and laughed with the rest – until the seven got interrupted by a powerful earthquake that came suddenly out of nowhere.

"Whoa … w-what sh-shakes us!?" asked Anju and fell to the ground together with the rest of the Union. Why is the ground shaking so strongly all of a sudden?  
"L-Look to the t-temple!" spoke Link and was right. Out of the temple came a strong green light beam that had filled the night in Woodfall and the whole swamp with a bright and shiny green light for a few seconds. The light became so strong – it even hurt through closed eyes.  
After about twenty seconds, the light became weaker and the seven could carefully open their eyes again – but they weren't standing on the platform in Woodfall anymore. Instead they were on a strange place that only Link had seen before.  
A place that was as huge as heaven itself. Cold and white with gigantic clouds floating around. How did the seven even come to this place? Weren't they in the swamps a few seconds ago? That doesn't make any sense at all!  
"Stay calm, this place is nothing to be afraid of…" calmed Link his fearful friends.  
Romani used her sharp eyes and spotted something red between two of the huge clouds – something red and gigantic.  
"What's this over here?" asked Romani and pointed towards the spot.  
"And where are we?" asked the Deku-Princess.

Wait … the Deku-Princess? Weren't she and her butler in the Woodfall-Temple before? Why was she standing next to the seven all of a sudden? This surprised them as much as the princess and her butler. The red spot that Romani had seen before now moved and unveiled itself. It was the red giant that was written in the many legends – one of the four graceful guardians of Termina.  
His size and his existence let the seven and their allies shiver to their bones, but he also had something calming and powerful on him. Like Xenocturna – so powerful and daunting, but calming and retrieving a new hope.  
Half a minute passed and the giant spoke his last words before taking the seven to Woodfall again:  
"… Call … us …"

After the giant spoke his words slowly, their view had blurred and the huge place got flooded with light again – until the seven woke up in Woodfall again. So it was done. One of the four mighty giants got awakened and the swamp was done. Next station: The Ocean, the Zora and many decisions of love and pain.

* * *

_Did you know? With just one review you can give two poor ranchers, two adventures, a pirate and two citizens a shelter, food and hopes **for one full day**! _


	28. Tactics and Preparations

**{{{ Chapter 28 - Tactics and Preparations }}}**

* * *

**Part I**  
Woodfall – Evening (a few hours after dusk)

* * *

"Ugh … ouch. That was odd. Did we hallucinate?" asked Joseph, while everyone stood on the Woodfall temple's platform – dazed, confused and with the mother of all headaches.  
"No, this wasn't imagination. The giant spoke to us. We've awakened him" replied Link.  
"We shall go back to the hidden entrance again, before the Exigoz can find us. The ray might have attracted them…" spoke the princess. A word and a blow and the Union as well as her butler followed her back to the entrance of Woodfall, down the vines into the saporific water and back towards the tiny island next to the Swamp Spider House.

"I am glad that we could aid you and Termina in your quest. I wish, and hope, that you can return the peace back to the lands – and with it hopefully let all tension disappear" said the little princess and hugged every one of our seven heroes with a lovely smile.  
"Mrs. Princess! Romani has a question to you" began Romani, getting the princess' attention.  
"She may ask" she replied.  
"Romani wants you to join the Union of the Ranch. We could need more nice people in our group."  
"But Romani – pardon, Miss Romani – the princess … we need her!" explained the Deku butler with a deeply worried voice.  
The princess then turned to Romani, put her tiny right hand onto her left shoulder and said:  
"I appreciate your offer, Miss Romani, but he is right. I want to lead the Deku through this bloody massacre, thus my place shall be next to my people."

Romani nodded and answered: "Romani understands". But in return the princess offered the seven a graceful gift as well: "I cannot join you, but at least I desire to give you a save spot to sleep and the tasty gifts of Woodfall to you before you leave."  
"Hmmm, well. It always was dangerous whenever we went through any forest, so why not?" replied Joseph – with his friend's acceptance from behind. All seven had desired for a fruitful meal and refreshing sips of water since they had started their quest. The bugs they'd eaten were juicy and tasteful, but lacked greatly in the feeling of saturating, so why not?

After a few minutes of discussing, they had decided to follow the princess back into the catacombs and refresh their strength. So it was time for another march through the tight corridor beneath the earth. Suddenly Joseph had felt a tap onto his left shoulder. He turned around and saw that Nazran walked behind him – her face showed a desire to speak a couple of words to him. Anju had stood next to Joseph and turned around as well – she noticed the dark-skinned hand coming from behind.  
"Joseph, I doubt that it's a good idea to take a long break. We should fill our stomaches, replenish needed goods of survival and rest for one hour. In my view that's more efficient instead of wasting a whole night" explained Nazran to Joseph and Anju.  
"Hmmm, well. We'll lose a couple of hours, yes, but if we have to fight – what I really, really, _really_ don't hope, then we should be fit instead of being weak and hungry. I understand your point of view but if we're tired, then all of us are way more vulnerable" responded Joseph.  
Anju also thought a couple seconds until she spoke: "Maybe we can find a shortcut on your map as well …"  
Nazran was still not convinced with the decision until she had compared Anju's argument with her recent plan. Finding a shortcut would compensate the lost hours of walking, not to mention Joseph was right as well. Whenever the use of defensive violence was needed only a rested mind can win.

* * *

**Part II****  
**Deku-Catacombs – Early Evening

* * *

Half an hour had passed until the seven, the princess and her butler arrived in the catacombs again – reuniting with the other citizens of the Deku-Kingdom.  
The butler and some of the other Deku had made some rather interesting food, while some of the other Deku prepared some improvised beds made out of leafs and moss for the restless seven.  
Nazran in the meanwhile used the time to plan again. She opened the map right in front of a burning pile of leafs and wood and looked together with Anju, Kafei and Joseph at the map. Cremia, Link and Romani sat on another pile of leafs (which thankfully didn't burn) and hugged each other. The catacombs felt cold – like a church in early spring or late autumn.  
"Romani had missed it to hug Grasshopper. It feels such well!" muttered Romani, while calmly embracing her little green friend.  
"I-I missed it too, R-Romani! I like that!" nervously responded Link – with a smile. Not giant creatures, not the ambassador of pure evil and not even Aveil or the Exigoz could interrupt Link's calmness – only the warmth and heartbeats of a young girl could do so. But how could this be?  
"Sis, can Romani sleep next to Grasshopper? He feels so ...", hesitated Romani, "... warm."  
Usually Cremia wouldn't allow such a contact – but she felt it would break her sister's heart if she interrupted this moment of closeness. Cremia replied: "Y-Yes, you can, Romani". Romani returned her sister's words with a smile while her eyes slowly closed.

Meanwhile the strategists Nazran, Joseph, Anju and Kafei were planning their next steps.  
"That hidden exit should be … ah, here!" began Nazran and pointed onto the map.  
"Our next target is the ocean – or Zora's Domain to be exact, right?" asked Kafei and pointed to the far west of Termina.  
"Yes, if that's what that hag said is true, then the Zora must have the next artifact. We shall ask them first I suggest. I cannot remember that the pirates had ever owned it…" explained Nazran.  
"Hmmm, okay. So we have to go like this…" began Joseph and followed the path on the map with his finger. First they had to go northwards through more shallow waters, past the devastated Swamp-Tourist Information-Building and along the road to Clock-Town until they pass the entrance to Milk-Road, where they head further towards the west of Termina – straight to Great-Bay's beach until Cap Zora is visible.  
"Exactly" replied Nazran and nodded after Joseph followed this path.  
"I don't think that this path is save, Joseph. Clock-Town unfortunately is the center of the Exigoz' movements, so we risk to get spotted by the drones or by one of those six-legged beasts if we go past Clock-Town" worried Kafei.  
"I don't see another path … do you?" asked Nazran sarcastically.  
"Indeed, we should avoid Clock-Town as well as possible. There must be another way" said Nazran.  
"Can I say something too?" Anju humbly asked – and everyone agreed. "Of course honey" spoke Kafei.  
"What if we return to Romani-Ranch again and move towards Great-Bay through the forest between the ocean and the ranch?" explained Anju and showed said path with her finger.  
"And how should we get to Romani-Ranch, dear Anju?" asked Nazran.  
"Sorry! I shouldn't have said something! Sorry, sorry, sorry …" apologized Anju, feeling sorry for even daring to interrupt Nazran, Kafei and Joseph.  
"Hmmm, I think Anju's is actually good. If we climb up that forest-hill up in the road that connects the southern swamp with Termina-Field … up here …, then we shall be able to go to the Gorman-Racetrack first and then to Roman-Ranch easily" said Kafei and pointed to the forest between the swamp and the racetrack.  
"Hmmm, you have a point here. We have to go to the road anyways, so we could explore the forest above the hill" said Nazran – until Joseph also had something to comment:"I really, really, _really_ hope we don't have to see the pirate-fortress again. Aveil is so – freaky…"  
Nazran replied with a short smile.

So the plan was decided. First the Gorman-Racetrack, then through the forest-hill, then towards Romani-Ranch through the Milk-Road and then straight to Great-Bay through another forest.  
While other details got planned by Nazran and Kafei and while Joseph and Anju checked everyone's equipment, Cremia, Romani and Link readied the beds. But before they went to sleep and got introduced into the plan, everyone enjoyed the Deku's great meals – which tasted odd like a toothpick, yet juicy as blueberries.

* * *

**Part III****  
**Deku-Catacombs – Early Morning

* * *

The next dark morning, caused by the underground, the journey finally had continued. Time to leave the swamp behind. The Deku again thanked the Union, by giving them new food-supplies and other new equipment, like Deku-Sticks and Deku-Nuts – along with fresh and clear water from Woodfall that now filled their bottles.  
A last hug for the princess until they went through the tunnel that led to the hidden exit.

After the trapdoor had been opened, the seven finally faced daylight again. The rain was gone, which was both, good and bad at the same time. The sky was cloudy, but not as much as the day before. The air was filled with the scent of a wet forest along with the unique rotten smell of the swamp's water.  
Joseph and Link even dared to take a deep breath – the dirty, dusty and dry air of the catacombs wasn't better either.  
"Alright. First we shall go to the Tourist-Information – or what's left from it to be correct" introduced Nazran and pointed towards north.  
"Oh dear, time to get dirty and muddy again…" Cremia sarcastically commented until the seven went into the swamp-water again.  
Step by step went they through muddy grounds until they arrived at the burnt debris of the Tourist-Information. The fact that the second hag, named Koume, died inside that building caused another moment of sadness. So many had lost their life, the most precious gift of Mother Nature, through the greed of intruders.

Three of the drones could be heard and seen flying around Woodfall. What were they searching for? Why were they so interested in Woodfall all of a sudden?  
But whatever the reason of that insectile and strong civilization was, they were dangerous and brutal and the new arch enemy of every Terminan civilization.


End file.
